Fifty Shades of the Opera
by wrenegade
Summary: Christian is reunited with his childhood friend, Ana. She's all grown up now, and not nearly as nerdy as she was as a child. Watch as he inserts himself in her life in a most interesting way. (Christian is the same hot CEO Dom we know and Love, Ana is a bit OOC, related to Kate and Ethan, not as self conscious.) Rated for eventual lemons and for language.
1. Chapter 1

This is my 2nd romp in the 50 shades realm. I hope you enjoy it.

It's inspired by the musical The Phantom of the Opera. I was listening to the soundtrack the other day and I noted some parallels between that story and FSOG.

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Chapter 1

"It's high time you have a real relationship, Christian," Flynn said. I stifled rolling my eyes. _Here we go again_. "You can clearly see that the submissives you contract are not satisfying all of your needs. Sexually perhaps, yes. Some of your anger, perhaps yes. But you are so much more complex than just anger and sexual need. You have other emotional needs, ones you're not even aware of."

"I don't want a relationship," I retorted.

"How do you know? You've never been in one, so how can you possibly know that you don't want one. You equate a relationship to hearts and flowers, but that's not what they're all about. Take the best aspects of one of your submissive contracts and add a bit of romance and there you have it. The connections you can make with someone on that level will surprise you. Trust me."

"Flynn, I don't know the first thing about romancing a woman."

"Neither do most men," he replied. "Even ones that have been dating for many years haven't a clue. I know you like to be in control of everything, but to truly seek happiness, you're going to have to go outside your comfort zone a bit. And I think dating is the perfect start. Visit a bar, or a coffee shop, or a bookstore… find a woman you're attracted to and strike up a conversation. Go for a walk with her, tell her about yourself. You'll be surprised how fulfilling that simple act can be."

The time was up and I had to leave. I bade my farewell to the good doctor and headed down to my car. He gave me a lot to think about. I sought him out this week because I ended my most recent submissive contract after only two weeks. Julia was attractive, a well-trained sub, and very obedient, but it wasn't enough. I found that even after a severe punishment, one that would normally have me ready to go for hours, I didn't feel any joy, arousal, or anything. I'd make her fellate me for an hour straight, and I still couldn't climax.

At first I thought it was some kind of erectile dysfunction issue, but when I spoke to Flynn, he urged me to visit him before going to a medical doctor. And then he dropped the bomb on me. A relationship. Hearts and flowers. Romance. Emotions. I'd purposely avoided all that my entire life. Why would I change it now?

I was on my way to my parents' home. There was a mandatory dinner party happening, where I would be reunited with my apparent childhood friends, the Steeles. I barely remembered them and I'd hardly consider them friends. I knew Carla and Ray and three children, though I couldn't recall their names. Ray was in the same unit as my father in the army, and they each got married shortly after their discharge. Their anniversaries were within a week of each other.

I think the Steele children knew early on that I was not into socializing as a kid and then around the time I was twelve or thirteen, the Steeles moved to New York. I hadn't bothered to really get to know any of them. But I did remember they would come over often after school to spend time with my siblings. I stayed in my room most of the time back then.

My mother apparently kept in contact with Carla, and my father with Ray, though they rarely or never mentioned the Steeles to me. As I drove, I called up my memories of the family, to at least remember a small amount about them. They had two daughters and a son, I remembered that, as it was opposite our family.

Two of the children were blondes, the eldest daughter and the boy, I recalled. Kate and Ethan, I finally remembered. They were twins, if my memory served correctly. They were Elliot's age. Then there was the younger girl… what was her name? Annabel? No... Annemarie? No… Anastasia? Yes, Anastasia. She was a year or two younger than myself. And a scrawny mousy-haired bookworm as a kid. I wondered if that changed.

I was late, I realized as I heard music coming from inside the house. Someone was playing the piano. My piano. Well, it wasn't mine, but it was the piano I learned on. It held a sentimental part in my life, and I didn't like other people playing it without my permission.

As I entered the house, I saw my mother at the piano bench, playing a familiar tune. She was the exception to my rule about who played the piano. Just as I identified the tune, I heard the most glorious voice singing along.

_Think of me,_

_Think of me fondly_

_When we've said goodbye_

_Remember me_

_Once in a while,_

_Please promise me you'll try_

_When you find _

_That once again you long_

_To take your heart back and be free_

_If you ever find a moment,_

_Spare a thought for me._

I slowly walked further into the room and saw a long mane of chestnut hair attached to the most alluring body I'd ever seen. Soft curves, a shapely rear, skin the color of cream and roses. I only wondered if the face was as magnificent as the rest of the body. She was turned away from me, leaning against the piano, singing as my mother played.

Her voice was out of this world. I stood, frozen to my spot, mesmerized by the lilting tones of her voice. Suddenly, I was very, very glad I decided not to skip tonight's gathering.

_We never said our love was evergreen_

_Or as unchanging as the sea_

_But if you can still remember,_

_Stop and think of me_

_Think of all the things we've shared and seen;_

_Don't think about the way things might have been._

_Think of me,_

_Think of me waking_

_Silent and resigned._

_Imagine me,_

_Trying too hard to_

_Put you from my mind. _

_Recall those days,_

_Look back on all those times._

_Think of the things we'll never do_

_There will never be a day _

_When I won't think of you!_

Applause broke out in the room pulling me from my trance. The girl turned minutely and I saw her profile for a split second. She was beautiful. I had to know who she was. My mother stood up from the piano bench and turned, seeing me standing in the doorway. "Christian! You made it!" she exclaimed.

"Er yes," I mumbled. "Hello everyone. I didn't want to disturb the performance. It was beautiful," I turned my gaze to the brunette with the golden throat. A luscious blush spread across her cheeks as she gazed at me and bit her lip. Oh dear lord in heaven. As I stared dumbfounded at her, I saw her striking blue eyes. They sliced right through me, into my very soul. I was so lost in her that I couldn't even think.

"Christian, you remember Ana," my mother said, breaking yet another trance. This was Anastasia Steele?!

"Anastasia?" I asked. No way the entrancing creature before me was the same girl I knew as a child.

"Yes, but I prefer Ana," the beautiful woman replied. "It's been a long time. You were a gangly, socially awkward ginger the last time I saw you," she teased. I smiled.

"Well you were a four-eyed bookworm nerd, if I recall," I teased back. She giggled and it was almost as beautiful as her voice. "It's great to see you again." I walked towards her, grasped her hand and pulled it up to my lips for a chaste kiss. I felt a zing go up through my arm and into my heart. What an odd sensation.

"Er, likewise," she replied. "I guess we both grew out of the awkward tween phase, huh?" We laughed together.

"Wow, the years have been good to you," a new female voice stated. I turned away from the brunette goddess to see a blonde approaching. She was pretty, too, not my type, rather generically beautiful. But she certainly was Elliot's type. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and saw him practically salivating over this woman.

"Kate," I greeted. I copied the gesture I gave to her sister, not wanting to give away my sudden attraction to Anastasia. Ethan came up next and shook my hand. Next were the parents, Carla and Raymond Steele. Ray had a nice firm handshake, evidence of his years in the military, where Carla's was more dainty and soft.

"I hope I'm not too late. I had a meeting that ran long," I explained.

"Oh not at all dear, Ana was just practicing for her up coming audition," my mother said.

"Audition?" I asked. "For what?"

"It's a call back," Carla replied, beaming with pride. "She's been called back for the role of Christine Daae in Phantom of the Opera. I think she's a shoe-in." I could just picture her in that role. She'd be perfect for it. Provided she could act and dance as well as she sang.

"Well, you certainly look the part," I complimented. "And your voice is phenomenal. You've got my vote."

"Thanks," she replied, blushing further. Her skin turned a delicious shade of pink. I wondered what it would look like warmed from a crop or a flogger. I shook my head, releasing those thoughts. She wasn't my submissive, she was a family friend. I made a concerted effort never to mix the two sides of my life.

"Shall we eat?" my mother suggested. She shuffled us all into the dining room which had been set elaborately with name tags and everything at each plate. I was seated directly across from Anastasia, which made me happy.

"So tell me Ana," I began once the dishes were being passed around. "Christine Daae has to do a great deal of dancing in that role as well, if I'm not mistaken. Do you have a background in dance?"

"Yes," she replied. "I started ballet when I was four years old, but it didn't really stick until after we moved to New York and I got a much better instructor. Where the old one scolded me for being clumsy, humiliating me in front of the entire class, the new one showed me how to turn my inordinate lack of grace into a new style of dance, and eventually, make me able to dance swan lake with near perfect technique."

I remembered her being rather awkward on her feet as a child. She stumbled around, tripping over air more often than not. Now she was a graceful beauty that had the world at her feet. She was the epitome of the ugly duckling turned swan metaphor.

"When is your call back?" I asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon," she replied. "I have to prepare 'Think of Me' and a dance sequence that they provided on DVD. I've been dancing and singing practically non-stop since they called me on Wednesday."

"Oh, at least they gave you a few days to prepare. I've heard some companies want call backs the next day," I answered. I was a member of the theatre board in Seattle, so I knew a thing or two about the audition process.

"Yeah, it was nice. 'Think of Me' was already in my repertoire, so it was only fine-tuning needed for that, but the dance is completely new material," she answered. I found myself more and more drawn to her with each word she spoke. I wanted nothing more than to be present at her audition; I'd have to talk to Garland to see if that was possible.

"Well I will say, 'break-a-leg' then," I replied just before digging into my meal. Mother had prepared a delicious roast with vegetables. Fingerling potatoes, julienne carrots, rutabaga, Vidalia onions, and zucchini made up the roasted vegetables. I watched Anastasia closely to see if she was a good eater. I was pleased to see she ate her entire plate and then added a second helping.

The conversation went on at the table, with the Steeles asking the Greys how life was the past few years, what we'd all been up to. Elliot regaled them with tales of the construction business, Mia with her studies in France, and I kept my stories reserved merely mentioning that I'd become a successful businessman.

Anastasia had studied at Julliard, focusing on musical theatre. I was impressed to learn that she already had three Broadway shows under her belt. That must be one reason why she was given a call-back. Most theatre companies liked seasoned performers, especially ones with Broadway experience.

Kate studied fashion at NYU and was planning on opening her own line, soon. She and Mia chatted animatedly about that all through dinner and afterwards. Ana and Kate's brother Ethan was in med school, about to graduate and become a doctor. He and my mother went on and on about various new medicinal treatments that were coming out. Carrick, Ray, and Elliot were engrossed in a conversation about what was going on in the middle east.

That left me and Anastasia to our own devices. "Have you been given a tour?" I asked. "We've done some renovations since you all lived here last."

"Just of the main floor, but not outside," she answered, smiling up at me.

"Well you're in luck," I told her. Extending my hand, she took it, squeezing lightly, and I led her out the back door onto the patio. As soon as her skin touched mine, I felt that same zap of electricity go straight through my body. I wondered if she felt it, too.

Ana PoV

Holy shit. He was effing gorgeous! I didn't remember him being so good looking when we were kids. He was socially awkward, scrawny and kind of mean back then. The years were very, very good to him. Perhaps deciding to move back here with the family wasn't a bad idea after all.

Christian had grown a good eight inches, his hair darkened to a coppery color, instead of the fiery ginger shade he used to have. His eyes were still the same hue of gray, but they seemed deeper, wiser, and very intelligent. Underneath his tailored suit, I could tell he was very well muscled. Not as bulky as Elliot had become, but more wirey.

I had gone back and forth about moving back here many times. Broadway was where my heart was; I wanted nothing more than to have a long and successful career there. But I looked a bit too generic. There were plenty of other actresses that looked more interesting than me, and they got the roles far before I did. Either they had bigger breasts, a bigger ass, were taller, or prettier. My voice and dance skills were on par with every one else, but if it was only about talent, then I'd have been a lead actor many times by now.

Instead, I had to deal with popularity contests, seniority, and cattle calls. In Seattle, I would be a much bigger fish in a much smaller pond. In New York, I doubted I would have even gotten a call back for Christine Daae; whereas here, I knew I had a pretty good chance of getting cast as the role.

There was something dark and mysterious about Christian now. Something that wasn't there years ago. At least I didn't remember it being there. He seemed genuinely interested in my life though. His eyes lit up as soon as he saw me after I finished my song, and they'd stayed that way the entire evening. When he grasped my hand and kissed it, I felt a surge of electricity roll through my entire body. I was sure that my hair was standing on end, liked I'd just stuck my fingers in an outlet.

Now he and I were on our own, strolling through the extensive Grey Estate. Christian held my hand tightly in his the entire time as he explained the changes made in the house. I listened to the baritone sounds of his voice, but didn't pay attention to the words. My mind was more focused on the constant hum of electricity flowing between us. Did he feel it too?

He was leading me towards a boathouse, where he was going to show me the family's latest toy. He held the door open for me like a perfect gentleman and I stepped into the dark building. A light switch was flipped and then it was illuminated in a soft glow. There, rocking softly on the night's waves was a beautiful house boat.

"Wow, this is beautiful! I think it's bigger than my apartment in New York," I said, giggling.

"Yes, well it's meant for family travel, I suppose," he replied. "Would you like to come aboard?" I nodded and smiled at him. He hopped up on deck first then hoisted me up, lifting me over the side as if I weighed ten pounds.

He led me on a short tour of the boat. While it was very large, the rooms were small and simple. We found ourselves back on the deck, sitting on the cushions near the helm. "Anastasia, I need to ask you something," he said. Oh lord, the look in his eyes had me melting into a puddle and slipping in to the bay water below.

"Okay," I replied quietly, suddenly very shy.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked. Holy lord.

"No," I squeaked. "Do you?"

"Have a boyfriend? No," he joked, chuckling. "I don't have a girlfriend either, for that matter." So did that mean he was straight?

"Oh, good. I mean, yes. Why do you ask?"

"Because, just wondering if there's going to be any competition." Holy shit.

"Oh my," I whispered to myself. He smirked slightly, so I knew he heard me. One day back in Seattle and I've already got a suitor. I didn't have time for boyfriends. I never had time. I was always too busy rehearsing, studying, performing and sleeping. There was little room for anything else.

Granted now, I'd have a lot more free time. The rehearsal schedule out here was a lot less demanding than on Broadway in New York. And living at home, I wouldn't have many expenses that would require a supplemental job. But did I want to jump into a relationship with the first guy that I ever even took the time to notice?

Christian leaned towards me, a very determined look in his eyes. And I just knew he was going to kiss me. Gulp.


	2. Chapter 2

Only one chapter and I've already got quite the following! It's simply amazing. Thank you to you all for your lovely reviews. And yes, I certainly will be continuing this story. It won't be nearly as dark as Fifty Shades of Grey Steele, but it wouldn't be Fifty Shades without just a teensy bit of darkness... eventually of course!

Enjoy!

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Chapter 2

Christian PoV

As I leaned in to kiss her, my intent clear, she gulped, which gave me pause. "Tell me to stop, Ana." I wanted her to know she still had a choice. She could walk away, she could stop me from kissing her.

"I don't think I can," she replied. Her eyes flickered down to my lips and back up. She licked her own lips in the process. She was powerless under my gaze. I liked that she trusted me to do this, and that she relinquished her control of the situation to me. I reached up, ever so slowly, and caressed her cheek. Soft, supple skin met my fingers, and she leaned into my hand, closing her eyes.

I pressed my lips to hers, tasting her warmth, and giving her mine. I was about to deepen the kiss when I heard my sister calling for me. "Christian! Ana! Where are you? We're about to have dessert." Ana pulled her lips from mine and stood up abruptly.

"We should go," she whispered. I nodded and stood to help her climb off the boat. The boat rocked in the boathouse, knocking against one of the docks. Mia must have heard it, as she opened the door to the boathouse.

"What are you doing up there?" Mia asked suggestively.

"Christian was giving me a tour of the new houseboat," Ana said. Though she might as well have said, "Christian was kissing me on the deck of your new houseboat." Her tone gave everything away.

"Mm hmm," Mia replied, not fooled by Ana's lie of omission. Her suspicions were further confirmed when Ana's face turned six shades of red. We followed my sister out of the boathouse and back into the main house. Everyone was in the parlor chatting animatedly as Gretchen cut up a cobbler and served each dish a la mode.

After dessert, we chatted as a group a bit more, about nothing of consequence. I wanted to get Ana alone again, but I never had the chance until they were about to leave. "Ana," I said, pulling her aside. "I don't want that to be our first and last kiss."

"Agreed," she said, smiling. She reached over and into the pocket of my pants, pulling out my phone. How bold a move! After she punched in her phone number, she sent herself a text message from my phone. "There. Problem solved. Call me." She then leaned up and kissed me on the cheek before heading out the door.

Call her? Oh yes, I definitely would.

Back in the parlor, everyone in my family was eying me with goofy grins on their faces. "What?" I asked.

"Christian and Ana sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Mia and Elliot chorused. "Or rather, sitting in a houseboat," Mia added. I rolled my eyes at them.

"Is it true, Christian?" my mother asked. "Are you attracted to Anastasia?"

"Yes, mother, I am," I answered. "We exchanged numbers and she told me to call her."

"Damn, little bro. And here I thought you were gay," Elliot bellowed. Mia promptly smacked him upside the head. I knew they all thought that. They had never seen me with a woman, so naturally they assumed. "Ow! Dammit Mia, stop with the martial arts classes," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Elliot, language. Mia, don't hit your brother," My mother scolded. "And Christian, despite our assumptions or thoughts, we're very happy that you've found someone. I know it's just a beginning, but it's still something, and I think you couldn't do much better than Anastasia Steele. She's a one in a million woman." I smiled at my mother, agreeing with her fully. Only a handful of hours with the girl and I already knew she was going to be very special to me.

Kissing her was out of this world. I'd kissed countless women in my years, but none of them gave me such an emotional connection. And none of them were outside a contract.

When I left the house, I was much lighter than when I arrived. I thought it was going to be a boring, dull night, and I had Flynn's words running through my head, trying to figure out how I could ever be in a relationship. Now, I felt like it was actually possible. With Anastasia. She was the first woman I'd ever met that elicited those feelings in me. I could definitely see something happened. Flynn would have quite the revelation with that.

Once at home, I contemplated when was appropriate to call Anastasia. Would the same day be too soon? I'd just seen her an hour before. Perhaps a text message? No that was too informal.

I began pacing in my great room, trying to decide what to do. Finally, when I did decide to just buck up and call her, I glanced at my phone and noticed it was three in the morning. Well hell, that was decided then.

I was far too worked up to sleep, so instead I headed down to the gym in the basement of my building. No one else was there, which didn't seem odd considering the hour. I hopped on the treadmill and began running. In my mind, I was chasing Anastasia across a field, perhaps a meadow. She was laughing and giggling as we danced our way through the knee high grasses.

_Jeez, Grey, get a grip! You're becoming a pansy ass sissy boy. _I shook my head to rid the imagery. Moving from the treadmill to the free weights, I filled my head with images of the phantom of the opera. Depending on how well Miss Steele's audition went, I might have needed to pull some rank on the theatre board of directors.

No, she probably wouldn't like that. She wouldn't like the idea that she got the role because the megalomaniac CEO that's pining for her got her the role. She'd want to earn it on her own. I only hoped that the competition wasn't too tough for her. Ana was probably one of the only actors with true Broadway experience, so that gave her a huge leg up in the running.

"Welch," I barked into my phone, once he answered it. "I need you to find out who all are called back to audition for Christian Daae from Phantom of the Opera at the Paramount."

"Um, what?" he replied. "I'm sorry sir, it's just that it's five in the morning, and I haven't had my coffee yet. I thought you said you wanted the names of who's auditioning for Phantom of the Opera?"

"Yes, that's what I said," I gritted back. "Specifically who is audition for the role of Christine Daae. Can you get that information?"

"Yes sir," he replied compliantly. "I should have it to you within the hour, I expect."

"I'll be waiting your call." I hung up the phone and headed into the kitchen to see what Mrs. Jones was rustling up for breakfast. At least I could have an idea of who Ana's competition would be.

After breakfast, I retreated to my study and noticed a text message on my phone. It was from Anastasia.

**Thought I'd break the ice first. Good morning! And tell me to break a leg today!**

Ana PoV

I stayed up late and practice "Think of Me" a few more times. It wasn't until I was crawling into bed, that I realized that I was singing to Christian. He would be my muse, I learned. I could see him as both the phantom and as Raoul. He seemed slightly more phantomy, as there was a darkness to him, but it drew me in all the more.

Whoever they cast as the phantom and as Raoul, I knew I'd be placing Christian's face over theirs in my mind. When would he call me? In the morning? The next week? In the next five minutes? I had no idea.

I dreamt of Christian. Of him taking me for a ride on that enormous boat and him making love to me in the middle of the ocean. When I awoke, I was panting heavily, my body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. I'd never had a dream like that before. What the hell?

Glancing at the clock, I saw it was nearly 7am. Christian hadn't called me yet, which didn't really surprise me, considering we just saw each other the night before. But then I figured, why do I have to wait for him to make the first move? It's the 21st century, I should be able to be the pursuer, not just the pursued.

After a quick shower, I picked up my cell phone and texted him.

**Thought I'd break the ice first. Good morning! And tell me to break a leg today!**

I hoped it wasn't too early to be texting him on a Saturday morning. Though most people silenced their phones when they didn't want to be disrupted, and those that didn't, couldn't be angry.

**Good Morning, Miss Steele! And A lovely morning it is when the first thing I see is a message from you. And I do hope you break a leg today. Both of them, even! **

Oh, he was playful! That was good. Before he arrived at the dinner the night before, his family made him seem like he had a stick up his ass all the time. Never making jokes, rarely laughing, always so serious. I liked that he could be more youthful and fun around me.

**Yes, I'm glad my clumsy days are over, or I may actually do just that.**

His reply came a moment later.

**I do recall you tripping over your own two feet a time or two. Shall we dine together tonight? To celebrate?**

"Shall we dine together?" _Who talks like that?_ I wondered.

**Celebrate what?**

I was confused. What did he mean by celebrate?

**Your getting the role of Christine, of course. I have every confidence that you will blow all the competition out of the water today. **

Oh. That's what he meant.

**Don't jinx it, buster. And yes we can celebrate tonight. And even if I don't get the role, I'd love to see you tonight. I've got to head over to the theatre to get warmed up. I'll let you know when I'm done with the auditions.**

I wondered where he would take me. I knew he was richer than Midas.

I ate a quick breakfast and dressed in my best audition clothes. Black polyester pants that were stretchy enough to dance in and a red flowy top with long sleeves that had slits from shoulder to wrist. It was always tough when you had both a singing and a dance audition on the same day. You want to impress the casting director with your professionalism during the singing audition, but then you also need clothes for movement in the dance audition. Sometimes the two didn't go hand in hand.

Outside, I hailed a taxi in my best New Yorker fashion and hopped in the first one that pulled my way. "Paramount Theatre, please," I instructed.

"A New Yorker?" the cabbie asked. I looked at the front seat and saw a friendly looking middle aged man. He had long reddish hair tied in a pony tail at the nape of his neck. He'd grown a moustache that put Snidely Whiplash to shame. Though he pulled it off very well. I wondered if he got complimented on it a lot.

"Yep, was born here, but relocated to NY when I was a teenager. Just moved back recently," I told him.

"Well, welcome back to the West, miss," He replied with a smile. "I drove a cab in New York for fifteen years. The wife didn't want to raise kids out there though, so we moved here."

"I guess we're both transplants, eh?" I said.

He chuckled. "Yes ma'am. Well here we are." He pulled up outside the theatre where I could already see some other actors gathering. "First ride from a fellow new Yorker is on the house."

"Oh! Wow! Thank you… Mr… Hyde," I said graciously, looking at the cabbie license he had displayed on the dashboard. "Let me at least give you a tip." I handed him a ten dollar bill, which probably would have covered the whole fare and a two dollar tip, but he earned it.

"The name's Jack. And thanks much, miss!" He replied, giving me a winning smile.

"Ana," I told him. "The name is Ana. You're cab number 17539. I'll be sure to recommend you."

"Thanks! And here's my card. I'd be happy to be your personal cabbie any time." I took the proffered business card. Who knew cabbies had business cards? He gave me another smile, told me to break a leg, and drove off. Nice cabbies were hard to find in New York, and it looks like one of NY's finest had moved here. My gain, The Big Apple's loss.

I stepped up to the building and looked wearily at the competition. I could tell which women were called back for Christine, and which were called back for other roles. The three brunettes that grouped together eyed me with sheer hatred in their eyes. One look at me and they knew I looked the part more than any of them. One of them had hair that wasn't quite long enough. Another was a bit too curvy and voluptuous to pull off the innocent and young Christine. She'd be a much better Carlotta.

"You're new in town," A voice said from behind me. I turned around to see a tall russet skinned man standing there. He was holding a camera and a large duffel bag that likely had more camera equipment in it. "I'm José, the theatre's photographer. They photograph every new audition, and I never forget a face. So you must be new, right?"

"Yes, I am. Well, I lived here as a kid, but just recently moved back. I was in New York." I heard a collection of gasps from the three witches behind me. _Yeah that's right, not only do I look the part, I'm from Broadway, bitches. _

"Oh an east-coaster!" he exclaimed. "Been on broadway?" he asked.

"Yes, Wizard of Oz revival, In the Heights, and Wicked to name a few," I replied. The gasps got louder behind me. Jose whistled in appreciation.

"Well, between you, me, and this brick wall," he whispered, pointing at the brick wall we leaned against. "You've got more experience than any of those wenches over there. So, you do your audition, blow the judges away, show off that impressive resume of yours, and you'll get the part. No question."

"Thanks José," I replied. I smiled widely at him, which caused him to gasp slightly and his eyes to dilate. Uh oh.

"And I'll be sure to take the best picture of you." He winked at me before departing into the building.

"Broadway, huh?" one of the witches sneered. "Were you even the lead in any of those shows?"

"Yes, actually," I replied. I had played Nina in "In the Heights," which wasn't the top lead, but I had 2 solo songs, 2 duets, and was in nearly every scene. I turned away from them and waited silently for the doors to open to let the actors come in and warm up before the auditions. I had no need to make friends with these three wenches. They hated me on the grounds that I looked the part more than they did and that I had more experience. Who needed friends like that? I'd make friends with whoever else was cast, provided I was given a role.

A few minutes passed and finally we were allowed in. I found a quiet corner and began stretching for the dance audition. I'd warmed up my voice after breakfast, and didn't want any of the competition to hear me sing until I was in front of the casting directors. After twenty minutes, a young woman came out and called us each out by name, saying the order in which we would audition. I noted with happiness that I was right after the three wenches. Had to love having a last name that began with "S."

The audition room's doors were not soundproof, so I could hear the voices of everyone inside. They were muffled and I couldn't make them out most of the time, but once the actors started singing, I could definitely hear every note. Especially the flat, sharp or completely wrong ones they sang. Eek. Wench number one was abysmal. How on earth did she even get a call back?

This was like some Broadway version of American Idol, where they let a few of the really, really bad singers through just to give the audience a thrill when they see the looks of horror on the judges faces.

"That'll be enough, Miss," I heard one of the directors yell. I think he'd said it already, but Wench number one was so busy wailing that she didn't hear him. "Um, we'll call you," he told her. I knew that was theatre speak for "not in a million years."

She walked out of the audition room, glanced at me, rolled her eyes and strutted down the hall. Jeez, she was clueless.

Wench number two was called in and like the previous one, barely even knew the song. She had to start over three times because she forgot the lyrics. Granted, I knew nerves had a lot to do with it, but if you can't sing a song in front of three people, how can they expect you to do it in front of thousands?

The directors didn't even bother to break it to her gently. Partway through her fourth attempt through the song, they stopped her, thanked her for her time and sent her on her way, telling her not to bother coming to the dance audition. I held back a snort. Normally I didn't act this way, but these women rubbed me the wrong way, and they needed a taste of reality.

It was Wench number three's turn and she actually turned out to have a nice voice. It was a little pitchy, but nothing that the vocal director couldn't fix. They handed her a dance number and she stepped out of the room a big smile on her face. She didn't even bother to look at me. I liked that. Perhaps she was only being rude before because her two cohorts were doing so.

"Anastasia Steele?" the woman called out. I smiled and stood up, following her in. She took my resume and headshot from me and directed me to the black "X" that was taped to the floor.

I looked at the director's table and gave the trio my biggest smile. "Good afternoon, I'm Anastasia Steele, auditioning for the role of Christine Daae."

"Hello Anastasia," the one on the far left said. "Looking at your resume, you've got quite the experience. A broadway star in our midst, gentlemen," he complimented. I fought the blush that was threatening to spread across my cheeks. "You may begin whenever you're ready.

I nodded first to him and then to the pianist. He began playing and I instantly transported myself onto the stage. I sang the song as if I were singing in front of a packed house, my family and friends all sitting in the front row. Unlike the previous singers, they let me sing the song all the way to the finish, which incidentally enough is where the most impressive ranges happen.

When the music fades away, I come back to reality, and to the three awestruck directors behind the table. "Um, thank you, Miss Steele," one of them manages to say. "I think it's safe to say that provided you don't have two left feet, that we're looking at our Christine. Do you agree, gentlemen?"

The other two nodded emphatically. I was bouncing from the ceiling inside, but I remained professional externally. "Thank you very much, gentleman." I took the dance number they offered and scurried out of the room, a huge grin on my face.

On my way to the dance wing, I pulled out my cell phone and shot a quick text off to Christian.

**Singing audition down. Nailed it. Just have to prove I don't have two left feet. **

His reply was almost instantaneous.

**Great! I'm so happy for you. Can't wait for celebration dinner tonight!**

I smiled as I read the text. I was looking down at the screen and I almost didn't notice the wall of Jose that was standing in front of me. Thanks to my now non-clumsy feet, I quickly sidestepped and twirled around missing him by inches. I didn't want to think about how upset he would have been if I'd knocked him down and broken his probably very expensive camera equipment.

"Jeez, you're quick on two legs," he said. "You must be a hell of a dancer. Was that your voice I heard from down the hall?"

"Just now? Probably," I said, feeling my cheeks warm.

"Dayum, Ana. You've got quite the set of pipes." He shot me his megawatt grin and I swayed on my feet slightly. He was rather nice to look at. I wondered if he was straight or not. What? It's not like I'm married to Christian. A girl is allowed to play the field a bit before choosing a guy.

"Thanks," I finally said.

"Hey, you should let me take your photo before you get all sweaty from dancing," he said. "Er, I mean… that came out wrong." I chuckled.

"No worries, José. Shoot away."

He had me stand against a plain white wall and angled the light to best highlight my face. After a few shots, he said he got a good one and sent me on my way. The first group of dancers was just arriving. I noticed it was a mix of various women and a couple men. Wench number one was there, eyeing me with disdain. Wench number three was sitting on the edge of the stage, dangling her feet off the end as she flirted shamelessly with the choreographer.

As she was batting her eyelashes, his phone rang. He turned away from Wench number three to take the call. "Yes?" he answered. "Oh okay. Yes sir, I'll be sure to pay extra close attention to her. What was her dance number? 73?" I gasped. Holy shit. I looked down at the number pinned to my blouse. 73. The casting directors had called him to specifically watch me. That could either be very good or very bad.

"People!" he addressed everyone as he hung up the phone. "I trust you're all warmed up, have watched the DVD til your eyes bled, and are ready to begin. We'll run through the number twice, and on the third one, I'll be watching you all very closely." He said that last sentence right directly to me, staring at my number and then at my face. He gave me a small smile then gestured for us all to get on the stage.

I hopped up and stood where directed. Right at center stage, where he couldn't help but keep his eyes on me. Oh great. One misstep, and it could cost me the role. However, I did study that video until my eyes bled, and practiced the dance until my feet bled. So I was confident in my abilities, it just depended on whether or not wench number three was a better dancer.

As instructed, we went through the steps twice and on the third one, the choreographer said this one was for the money. I took a deep breath and waited with my assigned group. It was easier for the choreographer to judge us in small groups rather than the big one. My group was third to go up. I watched as wench number one stumbled across the stage during her triple pirouette. _Must remember to spot, lady._

Wench number three was in my group, but stood slightly behind me. If she caused me to screw up, I'd have her head on a platter. The music was cued and we began leaping across the stage, turning pirouettes at every cue, extending our arms and legs gracefully and hitting every beat head on.

Once the routine was over, I high-fived myself and stood to await the choreographer's notes. Being the last group, he was going to tell all of us now, individually to stay or go.

"19, 34, 87, 23, 53, 96, 12, and 41. You're all done. Thank you for your time. Better luck with the next show." I released the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "21, 42, 80, 15, 74, 32, 68, and 19, you're all in the company. Congratulations. Come and get your rehearsal schedules." He still hadn't called my number. There was only me and one of the guys left on stage. "73 and 61 come with me," he finished.

I gulped. What did this mean?


	3. Chapter 3

Guest Reviewer Laney: YES! I love SMASH! So mad it got canceled :(

* * *

Chapter 3

Ana PoV

I grabbed my duffel bag and followed the choreographer out of the theatre and into an office type room. The director and his cohorts were there, too. "Miss Steele and Mr. Attenborough," he greeted. "We'd like to have the two of you sing together." Oh, this was to test the chemistry between us and if our voices meshed well together. This young man was probably their favorite for Raoul.

"I trust you know All I Ask of You?" the pianist asked from behind us. We both nodded. I truly looked at Mr. Attenborough for the first time. He was drop dead gorgeous. Tall with chocolate brown hair, a shade or two darker than my own, jade green eyes and a jaw chiseled from stone. And if the subtle definition I could see beneath his dance shirt was any indication, he was chiseled and ripped everywhere. What was it with Seattle and the good looking men? I didn't even think he was gay. Then again, my gaydar wasn't always perfect.

She began playing the music and Mr. Attenborough sang.

_No more talk of darkness_

_Forget these wide-eyed fears_

_I'm here, nothing can harm you_

_My words will warm and calm you_

_Let me be your freedom_

_Let daylight dry your tears_

_I'm here, with you, beside you._

_To guard you and to guide you._

As he sang, he looked right into my eyes, took my hands in his and poured his heart out to me. If we weren't acting in roles, I'd believe this man was about to propose to me. It was my turn to sing.

_Say you'll love me every waking moment_

_Turn my head with talk of summer time_

_Say you need me with you now and always_

_Promise me that all you say is true_

_That's all I ask of you_

We finished the song, having danced around the room together, and even added a kiss at the end. It felt so natural, organic, but fireworks didn't explode behind my eyes like they did when I kissed Christian. I didn't take time to think about what that meant.

"Ah yes!" the director, who I finally learned was named Henry Johnston. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have our Christine and our Raoul! Congratulations Anastasia Steele and David Attenborough!" I was frozen, rooted to my spot. Did he say what I thought he just said? David picked me up and twirled me around a few times before I came back to reality and started doing a happy dance.

"Let's go celebrate!" David suggested, grabbing my hand and pulling me out into the hall. I had just enough space to grab my duffel before the door closed behind us. "There's a bar across the street, let's go get a drink. You're twenty-one, right?" he asked, pausing for a moment.

"Twenty-three," I answered. "Just us or will there be others?" I asked.

"Jose, the photographer is assembling the rest of the cast. Our phantom, Carlotta, and Madame and Meg Giry, to name a few. Some of the company and crew might show up as well."

I then remembered that they had already done the call backs for those other characters. Today was reserved for Christine and Raoul. David explained that he was pretty much promised this role based on his longstanding work with Paramount Theatre. I wasn't surprised, the man was good looking and talented enough to get any bloody role he wanted. "All we needed was the perfect Christine. And you, my dear, are her."

I felt the blush creep up my face at his words. "And what a lovely blush," he said, calling me out, only making the blush turn crimson. "You might need to work on that," he joked. "Perhaps a lot of white powder. Though we don't want to make you a clown."

I stuck my tongue out at him and marched out of the building. "I like you already, Anastasia," he said, chuckling. "We're going to get along swimmingly."

"Ana will do just fine," I told him. He grabbed my hand again and led me across the street to the bar. _Fifty's_ I noticed was the name. I wondered at the meaning behind that title. Inside the bar was relatively empty save for a large group that was hovered around a few tables. I recognized Jose there, but everyone else's faces were new. David introduced everyone and told them I was going to be the best Christine Daae since Sarah Brightman herself. Well that was a hell of a compliment.

"Well then, a drink for the new Christine!" José exclaimed. The waiter came over, checked my ID, and took my order for a margarita on the rocks. I sat down next to the woman playing La Carlotta. She was a hell of a presence. Long raven black hair, honey colored skin and golden brown eyes. She had curves for days and probably stood a good five foot eleven. Her name was Midnight Monroe. I had to know if it was her given name or a stage name she created. I was about 95% sure that I was straight, but damn, this woman was hot… sex on legs.

"Believe it or not, it is my given name," she replied. "All my siblings have funny names. Luna Llena because she was born on the full moon. Cyrus because he was born on the Summer Solstice and of course, I was born right on the stroke of Midnight. And Monroe is my real last name, too. Ever heard of Monroe Publishing?" she asked.

"Yeah! Big company in New York. I used to walk by the building every day."

"Oh that's right. You're a Newyorker. That's my family business," she explained. "I'm the black sheep, since I wanted to pursue a career on stage. But the heart wants what the heart wants."

"I'll drink to that," I agreed and clinked my glass to hers.

"A few friends of mine were gunning for Christine," Midnight told me. "All three of them were pissed as hell the moment you walked up to the building. And of course now that you got cast, just watch out for daggers, honey."

"Thanks for the warning," I whisper. Jeez, was I already on her bad side?

"Hey, you deserved it. These directors don't play favorites, they don't take bribes, or anything. They pick the best person for the role, and clearly that was you. Plus they're a bunch of wenches anyway."

I nearly spew my drink all over the table. "Wenches?" I spluttered. "I referred to them as wenches one, two and three, after I realized they all hated me." Midnight bursts into laughter and we clink glasses again, toasting the wenches.

Then the Phantom himself sits down next to me, Jason Miller is his name. "Looks like we'll be getting close and cozy," he says.

"Yep, looks like it," I replied. "I'm surprised they didn't do a chemistry and voice meshing audition with the two of us. Just me and David."

"Well, my voice meshes with just about anyone, I'm sure they knew it would be fine. In fact, I'll be we'll be great together." I wondered if he was yet another suitor interested in me. "My boyfriend certainly seems to think so," he added, tipping the top of his bottle towards one of the company members, who then blew him a kiss. Oh thank god. At least one of my costars was gay. I was about to gather my things to leave when José set another margarita in front of me. I swear it was bigger than my head.

That and two shots of tequila later, I was ready to head out. "I have to go, everyone," I told them. I'd texted Jack to see if he could drive me home, and he replied instantly that he'd be happy to.

"No!" David and José chorused.

"Yes! I have dinner plans and I need to go home and get ready."

"You're not driving," David admonished.

"Of course not," I replied. "I have a personal cabbie waiting for me." I gathered my things, said my final goodbyes and stepped outside to wait for Jack. I didn't realize it yet, but José followed me out.

"Ana, can I get your number?" he asked. Well that was forward of him. "I thought maybe we could go out sometime. Like on a date?" Huh, apparently he wasn't gay either. The odds in this town were definitely in my favor.

"Sure," I answered, giving him my number. He gave me his in return and said he'd wait for the cab with me. Then David showed up. José took that as his cue to give David his time with me, too and went back inside. Goodness gracious, this was getting ridiculous.

"Despite your possible assumptions to the contrary, I'm not gay," he stated. Well that was out of left field.

"I actually didn't think you were gay," I replied.

"Oh, good. So I know José just pitched his cause to you so I figured I might as well say mine, too. I know we're going to be spending a lot of time together over the next two months, but I'd very much like if some of that time was as David and Ana, not Raoul and Christine. What do you think?"

"Sure, I'd like that," I answered. I wasn't sure how having an intense rehearsal schedule and getting to know three different men was going to go, but I'd figure it out.

He gave me his number just as Jack pulled up. David kissed my cheek and headed back into the bar. "Got a boyfriend already?" Jack asked.

"No, he's my co-star," I told him.

"Co-star? Does that mean you got the role, honey?"

"Sure did!" I replied, a huge grin on my face.

When I got home, my entire family was waiting in the foyer for me. "Well? What happened today?"

"What happened today? Well I got tipsy at a bar called Fifty's, two guys gave me their numbers, made friends with a Seattle Cab driver, had daggers shot at me by three wench Christine Daae wannabes, and what else… oh yeah… got cast in the role of Christine Daae. Pretty dull day over all," I deadpanned.

And cue the hooting, hollering, shouting, cheering and fist pumping. Everyone was jumping up and down including me. "And to celebrate, Christian Grey is taking me to dinner."

Christian PoV

I was pacing around my study waiting to hear from Anastasia. Last I heard she was waiting to begin the dance audition. That was three hours ago. I figured an hour for the dance audition, unless of course she was in one of the last groups, in which case it would take longer. But still, it seemed odd to not have heard from her yet.

I did my best not to panic about it, but I was wearing a path into the carpet of my study. Mrs. Jones came in like clockwork every twenty minutes to ensure that I was alright. My responses became more and more snarky as the hours went by.

My phone rang, but it wasn't Ana. "Grey," I answered in a clipped tone.

"Sir. Welch here. I've emailed you the information on who all is called back for the Phantom of the Opera. If you ask me, sir, the one who'll be cast as Christine is pretty obvious."

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yeah, her name is Anastasia Steele. Julliard honors graduate, been in three Broadway Musicals, a lead in one of them," he explained. "She's got hella references from Tony and Oscar winners, sir. I think she's a shoe-in."

I went to my computer to look at the files he sent. But before I could open them, my phone rang again. It was Ana. I smiled a silly cookie eating grin and answered. I'd already assigned the Phantom of the Opera theme song as her personalized ring tone.

"Ana?" I answered.

"Hi Christian!" she said, sounding excited.

"I take it by the tone in your voice that you bring good news?" I asked.

"You're speaking to Paramount Theatre's Christine Daae!" she exclaimed. I pumped my fist in the air. I just knew she'd land that role. I'd only heard her voice for a few seconds, but she had it in the bag.

"Yay! That's wonderful news! Congratulations, Miss Steele."

"Thank you, Mr. Grey," she replied. "Listen, I am still totally on for dinner tonight, but a few of the other cast members want to grab a quick celebratory drink across the street. Then I need to run home and change. Shall we say 7 o-clock?" I tried to quell my disappointment that she wasn't already outside Escala waiting for me. Ridiculous as it was.

"Yes, that'll be fine. What's your address? I'll come pick you up."

She gave me her address and I promised to be there right at 7. Ana conveyed her excitement and hung up. I half ran up to my bedroom to shower and change. I had already gotten ready for the day, but suddenly, I wanted to be freshly clean for her. As I sprinted up the stairs, I nearly knocked down Mrs. Jones who was on her way down the stairs with my sheets.

"Oh, Mr. Grey! Are you alright?" she asked, flustered. I'd startled her and she'd dropped the basket, spilling the linens all over the stairs.

"Yes, I'm fine, are you alright? I'm so sorry; I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." I knelt down and helped her pick up the items and stuff them back in the basket. She sat there and stared at me as if I'd grown a third eye. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Sir. Not at all. Um, were you whistling on your way up the stairs?" she asked. "I've never heard you whistle." I thought about that for a moment, I was singing All I Ask of You in my head, and apparently it came out my mouth via whistling.

"I ah…" I cleared my throat. "I guess I'm just in a good mood." I gave her a half smile and disappeared up the rest of the stairs and into my bedroom.

Was Anastasia really affecting me so much that my entire demeanor changed? Normally I wouldn't like being out of control like that, but for some reason, the thought had my smile widening ever more.

I whistled all throughout my shower and as I got ready. I was on The Point of No Return when I finally hopped in my car and headed towards Ana's place. She was still living with her parents, but I figured that with her new job as Christine Daae, she'd be on her own soon. I'd likely take issue with visiting her at her parents' home frequently, and ask her to come to Escala more often. But if she had her own place, I'd visit her all the time.

Pulling up to the front of the house, I got out of the car, ran up to the door and pushed the button for the doorbell. Mrs. Steele was the one to answer the door. "Christian!" she exclaimed. "How lovely to see you. Ana said you'd be by to pick her up. A celebratory dinner, she called it?"

"Yes ma'am," I replied. "I wanted to take her out to celebrate her getting cast in the musical."

"That's just lovely," she answered. "She just got in a little bit ago, but told me to tell you she'll be down soon. Please come in and sit down. And call me Carla. None of this Mrs. Steele or Ma'am business, understood?"

"Yes… Carla," I responded, catching myself before saying "ma'am" again.

The Steele residence was not all that dissimilar from my parents' home. Open rooms, lots of windows, light colors, and a friendly atmosphere. The rest of the family was either not home, or busy doing other things.

I chatted with Carla for a while, learning about their life in New York and how much Ana didn't want to come out here, but ultimately decided it might be the right move for her career. A big fish in a small pond or something is what Carla said.

Finally, Anastasia came down the stairs. A vision in a plum wrap dress and black boots. Her hair was down and slightly curled, minimal make up applied to her face. I stood up to greet her. "Ana, you look lovely," I complimented, taking her hand in mine and bringing it to my lips.

"Thank you," she chirped, blushing profusely. Such a lovely color. "Shall we go?" I nodded, bade my farewell to Carla and escorted Ana out of the house, her arm tucked in the crook of my elbow.

"Such a gentleman," I heard Carla whisper, though I knew she didn't mean for me to hear it.

"So where are we going?" Ana asked after I opened the car door for her.

"I thought we'd go to a little place called Fogo de Chão," I answered. "Have you been there?"

"No, but I know what it is. I love meat, so this sounds amazing," she replied. I hadn't realized that vegetarianism might be an issue. Thankfully it wasn't. This was a brazilian steak house where the have gaucho chefs that come around to every table offering up various kinds of meat. Bacon wrapped filet mignon, lamb chops, sirloin, and pork loin are only a few of the many options.

As we drove, her phone rang in her purse. "Oh I'm so sorry," she said, blushing again. "I thought I silenced it. I'll do that now." She fished it out and I caught a glimpse of the screen before she flicked the silent toggle and put it away.

_Thinking of you_

_-José_

Who the hell was José? I had to know, but I didn't want to come right out and ask bluntly. "I hope it wasn't important," I said.

"No, just one of the people I met today at the theatre. The theatre's photographer, actually. He was there when we all went out for drinks. The lot of us exchanged numbers," she explained.

That gave me some insight into this guy, but clearly he had a thing for Ana. I should have known that I'd have competition. Not that it worried me. A little competition could be healthy for a budding romance. She'd soon see that I'm the better man in many aspects, and choose me. At least I hoped she did.

We arrived at the restaurant and were seated immediately. Ana ordered a strawberry daiquiri for her beverage, I got a dirty martini. The waiter eyed Ana up and down as he seated her and paid her extra attention until he got a look at my glare. _She's mine_, I hissed internally.

The meats came and went quickly, our plates full to the edges with the delicious smelling collection. "I'm going to visit the salad bar before digging into all this," she said. I watched her stand up and walk away. She had a delectable ass that I could wait to squeeze and spank. Would she let me do that tonight? Or did she go by a set of rules for dating?

In my preparation for tonight, I looked up dating rules on the internet. Many women went by a certain number of dates before any sexual activity happened. The average number was three. Would she make me wait three dates before exploring her goddess body? What would she think of the play room? Should I even show it to her? Ever?

We dined on the delicious meats and extensive salad bar for a couple hours before retreating to the lounge where we ordered a few more drinks. "I have a confession to make," I told Ana. She turned towards me, her gaze expectant and curious. "This is my first date."

"Ever?" she asked, astonished.

"Yes, ever," I replied. "My family has always thought me celibate and gay, but that isn't the case."

"So you're not celibate, but you've never dated? I don't get it." Yes, I suppose that would be difficult to grasp for one not in the know.

"Well suffice it to say that my romantic life has been very _specific_ over the years. I'm happy to go into details on a later date, but I just wanted to start with the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing, nor what the protocol is for a date."

"You're doing a smashing job so far, Christian," she said, smiling. "You took me to one of the best restaurants in the city, have been a perfect gentleman all night, and are making me smile a lot. I'd say that's an A+."

"I'd like to continue to get A's, Ana," I told her, leaning towards her just a bit.

"I've already awarded you an A for kissing, Mr. Grey, but I'm happy to offer extra credit."

* * *

*Midnight Monroe is a character from my original novel, Rosa. Someday it'll be published.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Christian PoV

"I've already awarded you an A for kissing, Mr. Grey, but I'm happy to offer extra credit."

Oh and I would earn as much extra credit as possible. I leaned in closer, placed my hands on either side of her face and pulled her lips to mine. I kissed her hungrily, like a starving man at a Thanksgiving banquet. She fisted her hands on my lapels, pulling herself closer to me.

"I know it's only our first date, but I really want to ask you back to my place," I told her.

"Ah, ah, ah," she admonished. "Slow your roll, Mister." I tried to hide my disappointment at her rejection. "We'll get there… just not yet." I held onto the word "yet" for dear life. I never wanted anything as badly as I wanted her. And something told me only once wouldn't be enough. I'd want her in my bed every night for the rest of my life.

The thought stopped me in my tracks. I pulled away from her and turned towards the bar. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yes, just, er, my train of thought got away from me, and um, yeah." I stumbled over my words, which wasn't something that happened, well ever.

"Oh, okay," she replied. She turned to face the bar as well, and wouldn't look me in the eye.

"I'm not mad, Ana," I told her. "I want to be fully honest with you always, and tell you what's on my mind. And it's just that what was on my mind just now surprised the hell out of me."

"Okay, so you're not upset that I'm turning sex down tonight?" she asked. Hope was coloring her eyes a lighter shade of blue.

"Absolutely not. You could make me wait ten years, and it would be worth it. But, for the sake of my sanity and my pride, please don't do that."

"I highly doubt my libido could handle ten years of celibacy," she agreed. That got me wondering just how experienced she was. But I didn't want to delve into that just yet. If she told me her past, then I'd have to tell her mine, which, at this point just might send her running for the hills.

"The night's still young. What would you like to do now?" I asked, hoping she wouldn't ask me to take her home.

"We could go see a movie and make out in the back row like teenagers," she suggested, jokingly. Though, I was all for that idea. "Or we could go to a karaoke bar."

"Karaoke bar," I decided. "I'd love to hear you sing."

"Only if you do a duet with me," she replied. I froze. No one heard me sing. Not even my housekeeper nor head of security, one or the other was near me twenty-four/seven. "I'm kidding, Christian. I wouldn't put you on the spot like that. I get paid to sing, so I'm not shy at all when it comes to performing."

"Okay, good. I highly doubt you ever want to hear me sing," I stated, relieved. "Let's go to Rumour's. They have karaoke every night. Sound okay?"

"Sure thing!" she agreed. We got up from our seats, she threaded her arm through mine and we left the restaurant. "What should I sing tonight? Do you have any requests?"

"Let's wait and see what's in the book," I replied. "Though I'd love to hear you do a bluesy jazzy type number. You seem like you have the voice for it."

"Christian, you've heard me sing one song, and it was from the Phantom of the Opera. That's practically the exact opposite of blues or jazz." I remained silent. "Wait a second. You googled me, didn't you? You found my YouTube videos!" she'd stopped just behind my car.

"Is that a crime? I was curious about you," I replied, shrugging. "Your voice is amazing, and I wanted to hear more. I figured showing up at the audition would be less than a good idea, so I settled for internet research.

"You wouldn't have been allowed at the auditions," she told me. Again I remained silent. "Why would you be allowed at the auditions?"

"I'm on the theatre board and I'm one of the producers," I told her honestly.

"What?!" Her face was turning red, but not in embarrassment. She looked pissed.

"I'm one of the producers at the theatre, and a member of the board. Ana, why are you getting upset?"

"Please do not tell me that you bought my role, that you paid them some ridiculous amount of money to ensure that I got cast. I really don't want to believe that, but I've heard of these things happening far too often."

"I'll admit, the thought crossed my mind. I only wanted you to have everything you wanted, but then I figured, you'd be really upset, like you are now, if you found out that you got a role because someone powerful made it so. But I swear, I had nothing to do with it. The only thing I did was look up the other auditioners just to see who your competition was. Purely out of curiosity. I had every confidence that you were going to get the role. And I promise, I had absolutely nothing to do with it.

"Really all I do as a producer there is ensure they have enough funds to make every show go off without a hitch. I rarely go to rehearsals or anything, and I only attend each show once or twice, and usually only because my mother or Mia wishes to go. Please say you believe me."

She narrowed her eyes to slits, pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest. Her foot was tapping impatiently as she scrutinized my words. For once I had nothing to do with it, and I was about to get blamed for it. "Okay," she replied. "I believe you. But if I find out that you lied to me, all bets are off."

"I didn't lie," I quickly said. "I'm not a liar by nature, Ana. I would never. Like I said, I knew that you'd want to earn the role, not be given it just because you're dating a producer."

"Let's just hope my costars see it that way," she adds. "In New York, I saw far too many actresses that slept with the directors to get parts. It happens all the time. And I swore I would never be one of those. But what's even worse is if word gets out that you're dating the director or a producer, everyone assumes that you got the role that way. Even when it's not true."

"Well, I'm a silent producer," I assured her. "My name doesn't appear on any of the programs or anything. In fact, all it says is something like, 'partially funded by Grace Productions,' which is the name I use for that part of my business. People would be hard-pressed to find a connection there. Some of the directors might have a clue, but I doubt that. None of your co-stars will know unless you tell them."

"Alright," she replied, seeming placated. "Let's go." I opened her door for her and she slid into the car. I made a mental note to remember the way she looked sitting in there. It would fuel many a fantasy for me. Maybe she'd let me take her right in the seat someday. I shook my head to rid myself of the thoughts. _Not yet, Grey. Be patient_.

Once we arrived at Rumour's, we learned it was very busy. A popular spot for Karaoke during the week, it was near packed on the weekend. Ana spotted a small table near the back and we quickly sat down. A waitress appeared shortly thereafter and we ordered two dirty martinis, extra dry, extra olives.

While we waited for the drinks, Ana perused the book, looking for a good song to sing. Her eyes lit up once she reached a certain entry and she scribbled down the name and number on the sheet before I could lean over and read what it was and she slammed the book closed, so I couldn't even figure it out by reading the list on the page. She hopped off her stool and half-ran to the Karaoke leader to give it to him. They exchanged a few words and she sauntered back to the table, giving me a sexy smile.

"What'd you choose?" I asked her.

"You'll just have to wait and see."

Ana PoV

Once I found the perfect song, I quickly filled out the little sheet, slammed the book closed and ran up to the leader before Christian could see what song I chose. He wanted blues and jazz, he'd get blues and jazz.

"Did you ask how many singers were in front of you?" He asked.

"Yeah, only three," I answered. I don't know if Christian noticed, but when I came back to my seat, I slid my stool closer to his. Our arms were almost touching. My question was answered when he reached over and grasped my hand.

We listened as the first singer ruined My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion. "Why do people do that song? Honestly… _I_ wouldn't even attempt it, and I'm reasonably sure it wouldn't sound too bad coming from me. It really shouldn't even be an option. Then it wouldn't be a temptation."

"Agreed," he replied simply. My skin caught on fire where his thumb was gently caressing me. If I was this turned on from him simply touching my hand, I had to wonder how bad it would be once we got intimate. Part of me wanted to say, screw karaoke, take me to your place. But I didn't want to come off as promiscuous.

The few guys that I'd been with made me wish I was still a virgin. Each of them left something to be desired, and I never once had an orgasm from any of them. The only way I was ever able to come was by my own hand. Something told me, though, that with Christian, it'd be different.

Next up was a guy who sang Cotton Eye Joe. There were even a few people that got up and danced with him. He was an instant hit, and I could tell he was a crowd favorite. I tried to get Christian to dance with me, but he vehemently refused, saying that he didn't do that type of dancing.

"What type of dancing do you do then?" I asked.

"You'll see," he replied, winking at me. Oh my. That had my heart fluttering up in my throat.

Finally, the guy called my name and I strolled up to the mike. The intro began and realization dawned on Christian's face as I began singing.

_Never know how much I love you_

_Never know how much I care_

_When you put your arms around me_

_I get a fever that's so hard to bear_

_You give me fever, when you kiss me_

_Fever when you hold me tight_

_Fever in the mornin' _

_A fever all through the night._

I could see Christian smoldering from across the bar. Abruptly, he stood up, carrying our drinks and my purse over, sitting at a now empty table near the dance floor, just a few feet from where I was singing. I had his full attention and I made sure to let him know this song was all for him.

_Sun lights up the day time_

_Moon lights up the night_

_I light up when you call my name_

_And I know you're gonna treat me right_

_You give me fever, when you kiss me_

_Fever when you hold me tight._

_Fever in the mornin'_

_Fever all through the night._

He was tapping his toes to the beat, and I was sure to switch my hips every time the drum sounded. I made a real show of it, getting into the song and giving Peggy Lee a run for her money. Christian did give me fever though. Every time he was near or was touching me, I felt like my body was on fire, that I would melt from the inside.

_Everybody's got the fever_

_That is something you all know_

_Fever isn't such a new thing_

_Fever started long ago._

_Romeo loved Juliet,_

_Juliet she felt the same._

_When he put his arms around her,_

_He said, Julie baby you're my flame_

_Thou giveth fever, when we kisseth_

_Fever with thy flaming youth_

_Fever! I'm on fire_

_Fever yeah, I burn forsooth_

Those lines got a lot of chuckles from the audience, though I hardly paid them any attention. I was singing to Christian and only him.

_Captain Smith and Pocahontas_

_Had a very mad affair_

_When her daddy tried to kill him,_

_She said, "Daddy oh, don't you dare."_

_He gives me fever, with his kisses_

_Fever when he holds me tight_

_Fever, I'm his missus_

_Daddy won't you treat him right?_

_Now you've listened to my story_

_Here's the point that I have made_

_Chicks were born to give you fever_

_Be it Fahrenheit or centigrade_

_We give them fever, when we kiss them_

_Fever if you live and learn_

_Fever, til you sizzle_

_What a lovely way to burn_

_What a lovely way to burn_

_Such a lovely way to burn_

_What a lovely way to burn_

The crowd went wild with applause, throwing dollar bills at me, some trying to tuck them into various parts of my dress, but I quickly shot them down, slapping their hands away. Tonight was Christian's night. Nobody would be touching me but him. "I think we have a new crowd favorite!" the leader yelled in the mike. "Bryan, she's gonna give you a run for your money." I looked over at the Cotton Eye Joe guy and he was giving me the evil eye. I blew him a kiss and sauntered to my new table.

I thanked them and sat down, collecting my dollars as I went. "Lookit! It's like I jumped in one of those machines that blows dollar bills all around and you have to catch as many as you can." Once the men that tried to shove their bills saw that I was with Christian, they stopped in their tracks, turned tail and went back to their own tables. I spared a glance at Christian and he was giving them all a death glare.

"Stop that!" I admonished.

"What?" Oh now, he had a innocent puppy dog expression.

"You don't need to glare at all the men, Christian. It's completely unnecessary, and I can fend them off myself if I need to."

"They were trying to touch you," he replied.

"Yes, I know. And if you were watching, you saw that I swatted them away. I can handle it. I've been handling for years, Seattle will be no different than New York in that regard."

"I suppose," he complained. "Your song was lovely by the way. You have an incredible voice."

"Thank you!" I leaned in and gave him a chaste peck on the lips. He tried to go for more, but I pushed him away. "Save it for later, Grey."

There wasn't enough time left for me to get another song in, so once the last singer was done, Christian paid the tab and we left the bar. He'd only had the one martini where as I had three. I was a little wobbly on my feet and had to rely on him to ensure I stayed upright. "Do you feel ill?" he asked me.

"No, I'm fine," I replied. "Just a little off balance." I clutched his arm for dear life as we walked to the car, which he'd parked down the block just a bit.

"I should have sat you down on a bench or something and gone and fetched the car myself. I'm sorry. This isn't very gentlemanly of me."

"Nonsense," I replied. "Just give me one of those earth-shattering kisses when you drop me off, and we'll call it even."

"Deal," he agreed, chuckling.

The lights were all off when we pulled up to my house, indicating everyone was either asleep or pretending to be asleep while they were really hunkering by the windows to watch what happened. Christian helped me out of the car and walked me to the door. "I had an absolutely wonderful time, Christian," I said, fiddling with my keys in that cliché "kiss me now" gesture.

"Me, too, Anastasia," he replied. "I do hope we can go out again?"

"Of course!" I answered. "I'd love to. Are you busy tomorrow? We could have a picnic."

"Perfect," he agreed. "I'll pick you up at noon?"

"Yes, please do. And now would be a very, very good time for you to kiss me again."

"By all means," he answered, leaning in and pressing his velvet lips to mine.

My body started on fire… again… as soon as his lips made contact with mine. The flames began on my face and spread down my body filled my toes then came back up and settled in my core. I moaned into his mouth, reaching up to wrap my arms around his neck. He pulled me flush against him and I could feel just how into me he was. It was digging into my stomach, and from what I could tell, it was big. Very big.

I so wanted to invite him in, but I knew my family was home, and it was only our first date, and there were a few other reasons I couldn't think of, but I knew it was just not a good idea. His arms roamed over my back, from the nape of my neck down to just where the small of my back began to curve outwards into my bottom. He knew just where to touch and kiss me to drive me completely bonkers.

His lips left mine only to kiss a trail across my jaw and down my neck. He bit me lightly just behind my ear, licking and biting his way down to my collar bone. I could feel his fingers roaming upwards, his thumb caressing the underside of my breast, and I wanted so badly for him to pull down the neck of my dress, and latch his mouth on my peak. So badly. But I wouldn't ask for it. I somehow knew that if I indicated he was welcome to do so that he would. And then we'd never get off the porch.

"I'd better stop before I get carried away," he whispered. "You make me want to do many, many things to you, right here on this porch, Ana."

"Just kiss me once more and we'll call it a night," I said back. He complied quickly, pressing his lips to mine feverishly, devouring me. I pulled on his hair slightly, causing him to groan. I knew if I didn't pull away right then, that we would end up going much farther than either of us had planned. Pulling away from his lips, I stepped backwards, placing three feet of space between us. "I can't wait to see you again, Christian. Good night." I smiled up at him and he smoldered back at me. God this man was delicious.

"Good night, Anastasia," he replied. He leaned down kissed me once on the lips, chastely, then on the cheek. "Until next time," he whispered into my ear. I took that as the cue to put the key in the door and go inside. Once inside the door I said goodbye to him once more and waited until he was in his car and backing down the driveway to close it.

I leaned back against the closed door and sunk to the floor. I hadn't realized how much he was holding me up that entire time. Once I was standing unassisted, it didn't take long for my legs to give out.

I pulled my phone out to check the time and saw that I had several text messages. Some from José, and some from David.

**What are you up to tonight? Wanna go dancing? – D**

**Are you thinking of me, too? And that's why you don't respond? :P –J**

**Either you're at Rumour's with some ginger dude, or you have a twin. –D**

**Yep, definitely you. I'd know that voice anywhere. –D**

**Okay, so you must be busy, or not interested. Let me know.-J**

It looked like I would have to deal with the both of them trying to date me. Christian set the bar SUPER high, so I hoped they could keep up. And watching them all try would be a lot of fun.

* * *

**So this Ana is a bit of a player. I promise it'll ultimately be an HEA with CG, but until then, she's going to fully explore her options a bit.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Christian PoV

Ana's lips were like a healing balm to my dark soul. I'd trusted Flynn's judgment on things before, and this was no different, but damn it was he right about me needing an actual girlfriend. Our first date was without a doubt the best night of my life. And normally nights that leave me blue-balling with an erection the size of the Eiffel Tower do not make the list, but this was something else.

I very nearly came in my pants when she pulled my hair. My submissives were never allowed to do that. They were tied up 90% of the time, and not able to touch me at all. Yet Ana's hands roamed over my shoulders, up my neck and into my hair. And it was glorious. I couldn't wait until she would do that again.

Twelve hours… I had less than twelve hours to wait until I'd see her again. A picnic. It seemed so juvenile, yet so perfect for our second outing. I would find a secluded clearing where we wouldn't have to worry about unexpected visitors or passersby. Then perhaps I could persuade her to go farther than first base.

God, Christian Trevelyan Grey – CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings was talking about sexual bases. I hadn't even used that terminology when I was an adolescent, much less as an adult. What was Ana doing to me?

I took the elevator up to my penthouse apartment and dashed into the bathroom adjacent to my bedroom. My hard-on was aching behind my zipper and demanded to be released. In more ways than one. I couldn't remember the last time I took matters into my own hands, but I wasn't going to get any sleep if I didn't do something about it.

I turned the shower on and shed my clothing at light-speed. Once under the hot jets of water, I squirted some body-wash into my hands, lathered them up and then gripped my erection. "Oh fuck!" I yelled. Just the image of fucking Ana had me near coming.

_I was back on the porch at her house, and instead of her pushing me away, she dropped to her knees in front of me. "I felt this against my stomach. Allow me to take care of you, Mr. Grey?" she asked, looking at me from under her lashes. I simply nodded at her as she undid my belt buckle, pulled down my zipper and freed my erection from the confines of my boxers._

"_Yummy," she breathed as she licked her lips and then tentatively licked me. She wrapped her lips around me and sucked hard. _

"_Oh Fuck!" I hollered._

"_Shh, Christian. We don't want to wake my parents," she admonished. I brought my fist up to my mouth and bit down on my fingers to keep from uttering any more sounds as she continued her oral assault on my throbbing cock. She took me to the back of her throat, choking slightly on my length, and it was the most glorious sound in the world._

_I decided I didn't want to come in her mouth, but instead inside her luscious pussy. I pulled her away from me and lifted her to her feet. "I want to fuck you, Anastasia. Please say yes," I requested._

"_Hell yes," she replied. "Why the hell do you think I wore this dress?"_

"_Easy access," I discovered. I untied the sash and the dress fell open to reveal her lacy bra and no panties. "God, you've been panty-less all night?" Her pussy was waxed bare and dripping for me._

"_No, I took them off in the bathroom at Rumour's before we left," she replied. "I was hoping for this." I lifted her up and set her down on the railing of her porch, her back to the driveway. If anyone walked by, they'd think we were just making out on the porch. No one would have a clue that I was slamming my dick in her tight little pussy._

"_Are you sure?" I asked as I pressed myself against her entrance._

"_Just fuck me, Christian!" she nearly yelled. I filled her in one quick thrust and she bit down on my shoulder to keep from screaming. The feeling was exquisite. "God yes!" she whispered. "Harder! Faster, Christian!"_

_I complied immediately, leaning her backwards and pummeling her with my rock-hard erection. She dug her fingers into my upper arms, threw her head back in ecstasy and sighed loudly as she came. A few thrusts more from me and I spilled into her, grunting her name as I released. "OH yes. I think we'll get along just fine," she said as I pulled out of her. She tied her dress closed again and sauntered towards the door. I could see my seed running down her leg as she disappeared into the dark recesses of her house._

"Fuck! Annnnaaaaaa!" I came hard against the shower wall at my day-dream. Oh if only that could have been a reality. I wasn't used to waiting a specific amount of dates before getting physical with a woman. The contract was signed, usually in my study on a Friday evening, and within minutes I'd have the woman tied up and begging for my cock. I'd never asked a woman if she was sure she wanted me. Once she signed, it was assumed. With Ana, there was no contract, no agreement, no premeditated actions.

I had no idea what I was doing, though she kept awarding me "As" for my efforts. Perhaps I learned a thing or two from my brother's dating stories that he never stopped telling, though I'd never admit that to him. Completely spent and satiated for the first time really ever, I fell into an exhausted sleep on top of my covers. I intended to sleep in and then get right in the shower again so I could go right over to Ana's place to pick her up.

When I awake, it's not to my alarm, but to a female voice in the hallway. "Taylor, step aside. You can't keep me from my son." Oh shit. Mom was here. "He never sleeps this late. He must be sick."

"Mother," I called out, realizing I was completely naked and still on top of the covers. I loved my mother dearly, but she didn't need to see me in the nude. "I'm awake, but not decent. I'll be right out."

"Very well," she replied suspiciously. Surely she was curious as to what was going on. I threw on a pair of gray flannel pants and a t-shirt and met her in the living room. "Hello dear," she greeted.

"Hello mother. What brings you by today?" I asked as I leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Are you alone?" she asked.

"Alone? What do you mean? Taylor is here. I suspect Mrs. Jones is about even though it's her day off. Why?"

"I meant in your bedroom," she answered. "You said you weren't decent. Since when are you not decent?"

"Mother, I fell asleep on top of my covers completely unclothed," I explained. "If you're asking if I had company last night, the answer is no. I came home after dropping Anastasia off at her house."

"Anastasia? You mean Anastasia Steele?!"

"Yes, we went on a date last night." I figured she knew this. She and Carla were best friends. And Carla certainly knew. "We have our second date today. A picnic."

"Oh that's just wonderful, darling!" she said, excited. "I'm so happy for you. She's such a lovely girl. I don't think I could pick better for you."

"Maybe that's why I don't let you pick," I teased.

"Oh stop," she replied, swatting my arm playfully. She gasped at her actions, worrying at my response. Surprisingly, I was okay with it. The grin on my face told her all was well. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to go to lunch, but seeing as you have plans, I'll be on my way. Bring Ana back to the house sometime soon, okay?"

"Yes, mother. Will do," I answered. Somehow I knew she was going to go right over to the Steeles' house and gossip with Carla and possibly Ana. I retreated to my room, took a quick shower and got ready for the day. Mrs. Jones was a god-send and had a picnic basket all ready for me when I emerged from the bedroom.

"I couldn't help but overhear that you're having a picnic," she explained. "There's sandwiches, fruit salad, chips, cookies, lemonade, and a couple bottles of water in there. And here's a blanket." She added a folded checkered blanket on top of the basket. Would you like me to add anything else?"

"No, Gail. That's perfect. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Sir. Have fun!" That was the first time in history she'd ever uttered those last two words. I blinked at her for a moment before smiling brightly, taking the proffered basket and heading out to the elevator. I told Taylor he could stay at home with Gail for the day. I didn't need security detail where I was going.

I hopped in the car and headed off towards Ana's house, excited for the day. When I arrived, Mr. Steele answered the door, gave me his firm if-you-hurt-my-daughter-I'll-kill-you handshake. I nodded my greeting and waited patiently in the foyer for Ana to come down. She descended the stairs looking like an angel come down from heaven. She wore a navy blue sundress with white and yellow carnation silhouettes on it. Her feet were wrapped in a pair of cork-wedge sandals with yellow ribbons that wrapped around her ankles like ballet slippers.

My gaze traveled up and noticed a large bruise on her left arm. It was in the shape of a handprint. "Ana? What happened to your arm?"

"I'll um… tell you about it later," she answered, blushing and looking down. Was she ashamed of something? I didn't do it, did I? I didn't remember grabbing her that roughly when I kissed her.

Mr. Steele gave Ana a tight-lipped smile, when she kissed his cheek. "Bye Daddy. I'll see you later." He leaned down and whispered a question at her. She stifled an eye-roll and opened her purse, showing him the proof of whatever he was asking about. Curiouser and curiouser.

I held open the front door for her, and then subsequently the passenger door of the convertible I chose to drive. "What a beautiful car!" she complimented. Good thing I brought a head scarf. She pulled a pale yellow scarf out of her bag and tied it on her head, to keep her hair off her face, I imagined. Then, she dug around in her purse for a pair of huge sunglasses with yellow rims. They looked like she plucked them right out of the 1960s.

Ana PoV

"So are you going to tell me what that bruise is about?"

"It happened last night," I answered. I really didn't want to talk about it. I should have worn a cardigan over this blasted dress. But a picnic meant outside, and outside meant sunshine. I wanted to get a little color on my pasty arms.

"I did that?" he asked, appalled with himself.

"No, no. It's not from you," I assured. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then did your father do it? Or Ethan?" Oh God, no.

"No, neither of them. It was a friend of a friend," I replied evasively. He wasn't taking that as a sufficient answer, so I knew I had to elaborate. "After you left, I checked my phone, and I had a bunch of missed messages. When I responded to them, one of the guys insisted that I come back out for a couple more drinks with a few of the cast-mates that were still hanging out. It was only midnight, so there was still plenty of time to go out a little longer. I hopped in my car and met them at the bar that he said he and his friends were at.

"When I got there, he was practically falling down drunk; his friends were even worse. I didn't recognize any of them from the cast, and had no clue who they were. He told me that he wanted me to come out with him, so he lied about who was there. I don't tolerate being lied to, so I got up to leave. Before I could make it to the door, one of his buddies grabbed my arm and tried to pull me back.

"I yanked my arm back, but he only squeezed harder. It became painful. He said that I had teased them all enough and it was time I deliver what they had ordered. Me on a silver platter. I was having none of it. I told him not to mess with a New Yorker, and punched him in the eye, elbowed him in the ribs, kneed him in the groin, and stomped on his foot with my stiletto.

"I dragged the asshat back to the table, tossed him in one of the chairs and turned to the guy who invited me. 'Think twice about lying to me again,' I told him before socking him in the face. I turned and left after that. I iced the hell out of my arm last night and this morning, but there's still a hell of a bruise."

"Holy shit, Ana!" he responded. "You're bad-ass!"

"You'd do well to remember that," I playfully threatened. "I don't know what the girls are like out here, but back in the NY, we do not tolerate that shit."

"Duly noted," he agreed.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"I found a beautiful hidden oasis of sorts out here one day when I was hiking. You don't exactly have the perfect footwear for it, but I don't mind giving a piggy back." He winked at me. Oh my. He was gorgeous. What on earth was I thinking when I decided to play the field? None of the men in Seattle could compare to this Adonis. José lost his chance last night when he drunk-texted me, demanding that I show up to that horrid bar. David seemed nice enough, but after last night, I wasn't sure I wanted to explore my options. The best one was sitting three feet away from me.

As we drove, I looked at our surroundings. Where there was concrete, mortar, bricks, steel, and glass in New York, there were trees, grasses, dirt roads, plants, and actual animals in Washington. Sure the downtown area is a bit more congested with buildings, but even then, it seemed less dense than the Big Apple.

"This is the closest I can park," Christian explained as he pulled off the road. "We'll have to hike from here. It's only about a mile."

"Lead the way, then," I said, throwing my hand out towards the forest. He grabbed the picnic basket from the boot of the car and headed off through the woods. The trail was fairly packed down, and I had little trouble navigating the tree roots and rocks in my shoes. Thank god for the years of ballet lessons to train away my clumsiness.

Before long, we reached the oasis he spoke of and it took my breath away. To my left was a beautiful and vast meadow, filled with wildflowers. My fingers wanted to reach out and brush the blooms. In front of me was a high cliff, the mountain range behind it. The cliff was broken in two by a waterfall that cascaded down into a pool and a small stream that led to parts unknown. I wanted to soak my feet in that stream. The water was so clear, it was like a mirror; and I'd bet it was delicious, too.

"Well, here we are," Christian said, wrapping an arm around my waist. "What do you think?"

"Christian, it's magnificent! Thank you for showing me this."

"We aim to please, Miss Steele. Come have a seat," he stated leading me to where he'd spread the blanket out. From where I sat on the soft fabric, I could see the meadow and the cliff. The waterfall created a wonderful soundtrack to our afternoon, and the babbling brook behind us only added to the ambience. I wondered what this place would look like at night. If the sky was clear and the meadow was lit with fireflies. It was like a dream.

I laid back on the blanket to soak in the sun. "Lemonade?" Christian offered, holding out a clear plastic cup full of the tasty looking beverage. I sat up and took the cup from him, thanking him.

"Oh, this is homemade!" I noticed. "Delicious!"

"I can't take credit for it," he said. "Mrs. Jones, my housekeeper, put all this together for me. I had planned on doing more than just taking the full basket, but she overheard me say the words date and picnic and she had a field day."

"You don't have many dates then?" I asked.

"This is my second date in history, Anastasia. The first being yesterday." Oh yes, I did remember him saying something about that the night before. Though I found it hard to believe.

"That's right, you've also never had a girlfriend, right?"

"That's correct. Though my hope is to change that fact, and rather soon." Oh my. Two dates and he wanted me to be his girlfriend. "Strawberry?" he offered, holding the berry dangerously close to my lips. Rather than taking it with my hand, I leaned up and wrapped my lips around the fruit, biting down. A drop of juice slid down my chin, threatening to fall to my dress, staining it. But Christian was too fast, he quickly leaned over and captured the drop with his lips on my chin. He kissed upwards, first kissing the corner of my mouth then claiming my lips.

I swallowed the strawberry just as his tongue asked for entrance into my mouth. I parted my lips slightly and he took full advantage of that, devouring me with his lips and tongue. He leaned me back my head resting on his hand while his other hand took liberties with exploring my exposed skin. "You are so sweet," he whispered as his kisses left my lips and trailed across my jaw, down my neck and over my collar bone. My fingers found their way into his hair and pulled slightly. He was dangerously close to pulling down the straps of my dress and revealing my peaks. I wasn't quite ready for him to do that. My body was, but my mind still had control. He groaned in response and moved back up to kiss my lips again.

"We'd better eat before the food isn't cold anymore. Then I have every intention of picking where we left off." I was all for that plan. I sat up and waited as he handed me a plate with a sandwich, fruit, chips and a cookie. "Mrs. Jones," he explained again.

"Jeez, where was she when I was brown-bagging it through high school? This is fantastic!" I bit into the sandwich and moaned my appreciate. Anyone who put grapes and sunflower seeds in a chicken salad instantly became my new best friend.

We ate in companionable silence and as soon as our plates were clean and tucked back into the basket, Christian's mouth was on mine again. "Wanna go for a swim?" I suggested, feeling the need to cool our bodies down a bit.

"I haven't a suit," he replied.

"Semantics." I pushed him off of me and hopped to my feet. I dashed over to the pool and looked into it. It was clear and clean and just begging to be dove into. I pulled the straps of my dress down and let the garment pool at my feet. It left me in only a nude-strapless bra and matching boy-shorts. Then I untied the ribbon on my shoes and stepped out of them, my feet felt tickled by the grasses. "Are you coming?" I asked, turning back to him. He was still on the blanket, frozen in place, gaping at me.

I smirked at him as I climbed the rocks to find a proper place to dive into the pool. "What are you doing, Ana?" he bellowed. "You'll break your neck."

"Oh please," I replied, waving my hand in dismissal. "I was on the diving team in high school, I know what I'm doing. Just watch." I stood up straight and calculated the distance in my head before leaping off the rock and executing a perfect swan dive into the pool. It was deep, just as I suspected. Plenty deep to even dive off the top of the waterfall.

I imagined the water cascading off the cliffs carved this deep pool over thousands of years. I surfaced a moment later and there Christian was, frantically tearing off his clothing. "Where's the fire?" I asked. He searched around for me, and finally his eyes landed on mine, relief evident in his grey orbs.

"You scared me half to death, Ana. You went down so deep, I couldn't see you. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine, and so is the water. You should jump in." I could tell he didn't want to be out done, so he climbed up the large boulders to a spot a few inches higher than where I jumped from. He dove beautifully into the water and came up a few seconds later, expressing his glee.

"Wow! I've never done that before. Another first, Miss Steele."

"Stick with me, Grey, and you'll experience a lot of firsts."

"First time making love in a waterfall pool, for example," he says seductively as he swims over to me.

Oh my.

* * *

**As you can see from my various fics, I'm a fan of bad-ass Ana. Her clumsiness and naïveté in the original books drove me nuts. This is only the tip of the iceberg, folks. Check out pinterest dot com/wrenegade86/fifty-shades-of-the-opera/ for pics of the dress, the sunglasses and the meadow. :)  
**


	6. Chapter 6

_**What's that I smell? Did Ana spill lemonade on her pretty dress? No… that must be the scent of …. LEMON ALERT!**_

* * *

Chapter 6

Christian PoV

"Oh my," she whispered. I wasn't sure she meant to say that out loud. I swam up to her and pulled her into my arms.

"Do you want me Ana?" I asked.

"Of course I do," she answered. "But here? In the water? I um… read that cold water can adversely affect a man's ability to…" she trailed off when I grasped her hand and pressed it against my erection. Her eyes went wide. "Never mind, clearly all of science is a lie." She gripped me through my boxers, running her fingers up and down my shaft. "It's only our second date," she whispered.

"Do you want there to be a third date?" I asked as I kissed her neck. "And a fourth date?" I kissed the other side of her neck. "And many more after that?"

"Of course I do," she replied. "You mentioned that you are hoping to have a girlfriend soon. Um, did you mean me?"

"Yes, Ana," I breathed. "I meant you. And I'll still mean you whether or not we make love today."

"Good, because I've wanted in your pants since I met you," she answered, pressing her lips to mine. I swam us over to the edge of the pool, pressing her against the rocky surface. She wrapped her legs around me, pressing her sex into my engorged member. I released her lips for a moment to reach behind her and into the pocket of my pants that were conveniently right at the edge of the pool.

"You came prepared," she stated.

"I hoped, but I didn't expect," I answered.

"I should probably tell you something," she said. If she had any STDs, that was kind of the reason for the condom. Unless she had herpes or something like that.

"What is it?"

"Well, while I've dated a few guys and done a few things with those guys, I'm still technically a virgin." She looked down as if ashamed of that fact. If I were sitting here trying to arrange a sub contract with this woman, then that would probably be a problem. But since I was trying to begin a relationship with her, the reaction was different.

"Another first then, Miss Steele," I told her. "My first time with a virgin, and your first time. And our first time in water." She reaches out and caresses my face. I can see excitement, lust, and a little fear in her eyes. "Don't worry, baby. I'll be gentle."

I latched my mouth onto her neck and slid my hands up her waist to undo the clasp on her delectable bra. I threw the garment on the shore away from our dry clothing and moved down her body to remove her panties. She balanced herself by gripping onto the rocky edge while I shimmied her boy-shorts off of her legs. Her perfect perky breasts were floating just at the water's surface. I leaned down and captured a peak in my mouth. She moaned out loud and I knew instantly that her breasts were very sensitive; I could likely make her come by simply stimulating them alone. _Oh the things I could do to you Ana._

Then, while treading water, I removed my own boxers. She pulled me back into her and trailed her fingers along my ribcage, across my abs and up my chest. I flinched when she reached my no-zone, which gave her pause. "Can I touch you?" she asked.

"Yes," I groaned. She flattened her hands and moved them up and across my chest. I breathed heavily, staring into her beautiful blue depths as her fingers worked me over. They healed me as they went. Gone was the fear of being touched, in its place a relentless desire for her to have a hundred hands so she could touch my entire body at once. "Ana, I want you."

"Then take me," she replied into my ear. She lifted her legs around me again, while I reached down with the condom and rolled it onto my length. A feat that's not so easily done in water, I learned. I reached forward and cupped her sex in my hand. She was waxed bare. My favorite. I could feel the heat of her arousal emanating off of her. She moaned into my mouth as my fingers explored her depths. She was so smooth and warm. I couldn't wait to be inside her.

I positioned myself at her opening and slowly pushed inside her. She hissed in pain at the intrusion but urged me to continue. Once I was fully sheathed within her, I stopped to gauge her reaction. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm fantastic," she replied. I felt her muscles clench around me. Dear god, this woman was going to be the death of me. "Feel that? That's how much I want you. You can start moving, Christian." Move? Was she serious? I was trying to keep from coming right at that moment. Give a guy a break.

I braced myself by gripping the pool's edge on either side of her and rocked into her over and over. She arched her back to meet me thrust for thrust and buried her head in my shoulder, muting her moans. "Baby, I need to see you," I told her. She lifted her head and looked into my eyes. I felt like I was looking into her soul. Her eyes darkened more and more with each passing moment, and I could feel all of her wrapped around my body. It was like my body was on super-high alert. I could feel her nipples brush against my sensitized skin, and her heels digging into my back.

"You're so beautiful," she told me. It warmed my heart to hear those words. "And you feel fucking amazing," she padded, panting and urging me to speed up and deepen my thrusts. "Oh god, Christian. I can feel every inch of you. I'm going to come soon!" She thrust her fingers into my hair and pulled as her climax washed over her. I pounded into her a few more times before finding my own release.

"Oh Ana," I whispered, having collapsed against her. She was keeping my head above water by wrapping her arms around me and her legs were still locked behind my hips. "That was incredible."

"Agreed," she said. "Shall we get out of the pool before we get all pruny?"

"After you," I said. She lifted herself out of the water and sat on the pool's edge a moment before helping me out. Seeing her standing there, the early afternoon sun glistening off her wet body, she looked ethereal. I couldn't believe she was mine. I wanted her again right there, but I only brought the one condom.

She fished a couple hand towels out of the picnic basket and held one out to me. I was still standing near the pool, watching as she strutted across the clearing in all her naked glory. She was confident about her body and that made me very happy. Plus she had every reason to be. The woman was perfection. Curves in all the right places, muscles everywhere else. She was toned and fit, and oh so sexy.

"Would you bring the clothes over here?" she asked. I picked up the items and carried them to the blanket. I found a nearby boulder that was hot from the sun beating down on it and laid out our undergarments to dry a bit before we put them back on… if we put them back on, that was.

After drying off with the small towels, she wrung out what water she could from her long tresses. "Would you like me to braid it back for you?" I asked.

"You can braid hair?" She turned around for me and allowed me to comb through her hair with my fingers. When I got enough of the bigger snarls out, I braided it down her back. She pulled a hair tie from her wrist and handed it to me. Once her hair was secure, I turned her around and planted a chaste kiss on her nose.

"Yes, I have a sister," I explained. I didn't want to go into detail on that just yet. But if I was going to enter into a relationship with this goddess, I would need to be fully honest with her. Even show her the playroom eventually.

"Ah yes, Mia is quite the force of nature," she said, accepting my answer. It wasn't a lie; Mia was the one who taught me how to braid. I just applied that knowledge many years later on various subs.

We sat and chatted a while longer before packing up everything and heading back towards the car. Neither Ana nor I put our undergarments back on, so they were tucked in the bottom of the basket and I made a mental note to remove them before Mrs. Jones cleaned it out. "So what now?" I asked. "The day's still young."

"I have a cast meeting this evening," she replied, checking her phone. "I just got a text about it from David, the guy who's playing Raoul. But I'm free until then. Maybe we could go to your place and watch a movie or something?"

I felt like "watch a movie" was code for something else, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. I did have a much larger supply of condoms at Escala, so we could certainly move on to rounds two or three or however many times she'd let me have her. Agreeing, I headed towards Escala and explained the layout of the house on the way.

"It sounds lovely," Ana said. "I can't wait to see it."

Ana PoV

Christian's description of the apartment hardly did it justice. It was like a castle on top of a sky scraper. I was reminded of a Disney show that used to run every week called Gargoyles in which one of the characters had an ancient castle flown in from Scotland or somewhere, and reconstructed it on top of his building brick by brick. Granted this wasn't an actual castle, but the elegance, furnishings and over all theme of the place reminded me of one.

There were sculptures placed strategically around the large foyer that drew ones attention then made you shift your eyes upwards to the accompanying painting on the wall. It was as if each painting was made to match the sculpture, or vice versa. "Are these all the same artist?" I asked.

"Yes, she's a local sculptor and painter. I helped start her business a few years ago, so she gave me these as a token of her thanks. She's rather successful now. Opening a gallery in New York last I heard."

Wow. New York was the big time for a lot of professions, artists especially. If her gallery took off in the big apple, she'd be world renowned before long.

Christian led me through the foyer and into the great room which was all white and wood. The floors were a deep brown maple with interesting wood grain patterns. I could tell that whoever built the floor selected very specific boards to make it up. The couch was stark white and I was completely terrified to sit on it, fearing that I would stain it. "It's leather and completely stain proof," he explained, sensing my worry. "But come, I want to give you the grand tour." We passed a baby grand piano on our way out of the room and I remembered that he played. I made a mental note to ask him to play something for me.

I followed him out of the great room and into the dining room. The table could seat 10 people comfortably which had me wondering if he entertained a lot. "I can probably count on one hand how many times that table has been used," he said. It was as if he was reading my mind. "I'm here alone most of the time, so I just eat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen.

The floor beneath my feet was some kind of marble or maybe granite. I couldn't tell. It was a deep grey color with bits of minerals in it that reflected the light and made it seem like it was sparkling in some places. The breakfast bar he mentioned was incredible. The sides of it were wrapped in an intricate mosaic tile pattern. I was afraid of chipping a tile if I bumped my knees or toes against it while eating.

"Are you hungry at all yet?" he asked. He set the picnic basket on the counter and quickly fished my bra, panties, and his boxers out of it. "I don't need Mrs. Jones asking me any questions about these," he joked. I smiled, but shook my head at his offer of food. Maybe later. At that moment, there was only one thing I was hungry for.

We left the kitchen and headed down a hallway. He opened a door on the left and gestured for me to go in first. It was his bedroom. And it was glorious. In front of me stood a huge four-poster bed. It had to be an Alaskan King, it was simply huge. For a man who said he'd never had a relationship, why would he need such a huge bed. Both his family and mine could fit on the thing and sleep comfortably. Not that I wanted anyone else in the bed with me but him.

"The bathroom is off to the right," he stated with a gesture. "And the closet is to your left." I turned to the left and gazed into the double doors that led into a closet that was bigger than my apartment in New York. I told him as much, earning a light chuckle from him. "Oh Ana, I've been imagining you in this room with me ever since we met. It's taking all my self-control to stand here and not tear your clothes off."

"Well, I'd rather keep this dress, so please don't tear it, but you are welcome to take it off of me, and do what you please with my body," I replied. I had hoped he brought me to this particular room for a reason, and it looked as thought I was right. He stepped towards me slowly, eying me carefully. I reached out to undo his shirt, but he stopped me.

"Ah, ah, ah… miss Steele, you said I could take your dress off of you. And then do what I please with your body. At this moment, that does not include removing my own clothing." What did he mean? How was he going to make love to me if he kept his clothes on? If he intended to just whip it out of his fly and do me that way, he had another thing coming. Quickies like that had a time and a place and this wasn't it.

"What are you going to do?" I asked. His fingers snaked up the straps of my dress and pushed them off my shoulders. The dress fell to the floor, pooling around my feet. I remembered then that he was holding my bra and panties in his hand, so I clearly wasn't wearing them. Leaving me standing there in nothing but my shoes. He led me to the bed and sat me on the edge of it.

Then he was on his knees untying the ribbon on my shoes and slipping them off my feet. "We've done a lot of walking today. I'm sure your feet are tired," he said as he began to massage my foot. Oh god it was heaven. I'd never had a massage like this. Sure they do a bit of one when you get a pedicure, but this was out of this world. It was so sensual, so romantic. I'd never look at my feet the same way again.

After working over my feet, he moved his way up my calves and thighs. "A dancer needs to keep her muscles well toned, yes? Massages can help with that. And Ana, your body is so delicious, I'll give you one whenever you like." I fully intended to take him up on that offer particularly when it was getting close to the show opening. I'd be stressed and sore all the time.

He laid me back on the bed as he continued his ministrations on my legs. When his fingers reached the apex of my thighs, I was so wound up, I was sure I would come as soon as he touched me. But he didn't. Instead, he teased my folds, moving closer and closer to the sensitive nub, but never touching it. I was about to go crazy but he suddenly leaned forward and licked the nub ever so lightly. My back bowed off the bed and my hips jerked up and into his face. More. I needed more.

He pressed my hips down with his hands and dove in face first. He assaulted my sex with his mouth, lapping up every bit of arousal that there was. "God you're delicious," he stated between passes of his tongue. His fingers dipped deep inside me, finding that special place there that sent me to the moon and back. Not only was this man a master with his tool, he was a god with his mouth. If he kept this up on the regular, I'd have to quit my job and move into this room full time. I'd never get enough of him. How could any woman not want to be with him if he made them feel like this?

I wondered more at the nature of his previous relationships, or lack there of. It had to be his decision to not engage in any romance with anyone. Any woman would be lucky to have this man and a complete idiot to do anything to ruin it. Before I could think any more on that, he brought me back to reality by shedding his clothing and climbing up on the bed with me. "I want to take you from behind, Ana. I want to fuck you hard. Do you want that?"

"Hell yes!" I exclaimed. I quickly flipped on to my stomach and up on all fours to get ready. He chuckled as he reached over into the night stand a procured a foil-packet. I heard the rip of the foil and then the sound of the latex being stretched over his member. He had to use magnums. His cock was gigantic.

"Are you sure you want this baby? It's gonna be rough."

"Just fuck me already!" I said. I waved my ass at him to taunt him. He smacked my ass lightly just before he slid his cock into me slowly and paused once he was all the way in. It was just as glorious as it was before, and I knew somehow that each time would just be better than the last. He pulled out almost all the way and slammed into me. Hard. Really hard. My whole body jolted forward with the force of it. And I fucking loved it. "Again!" I cried.

He rammed into me again. And then again. And then a few more times before he really picked up the speed. His hands were gripping my hips tightly as he pounded me fast and hard. He was grunting and groaning while calling my name over and over again. I was making sounds I knew, but I wasn't sure they were actual words. I'd moved beyond the ability to form coherent words at that point. I lost count of how many times I climaxed before he finally came.

"You'll be the death of me," He panted. "A-fucking-mazing."

"Yes it was," I agreed. "Holy shit."

He laid down next to me, wrapping one arm around my waist. After a romp like that, I was more than ready for a nap. I glanced at the clock on the side-table and noticed it was almost four pm. My meeting was scheduled for 8, so I still had at least three more hours with this god.

We both fell asleep shortly there after, basking in our post-coital bliss. A short while later, a rumbling in my stomach woke me. I was laying on Christian's chest, his arms wrapped securely around me. He was still asleep. I glanced at the clock; it was almost five pm. And suddenly, I had a very pressing need to use the bathroom. I carefully slipped out of his embrace and tip-toed into the en-suite.

A few moments, later I felt refreshed and so happy. I'd been with boys, none of which made me come even once. Sure, they were only using their hands or mouths, but not one of them made me feel what Christian had that day. Multiple times, might I add. "Baby?" I heard him mutter.

He woke fully then, realizing I wasn't in bed. God, he was near panicking until his eyes finally landed on me. "What are you doing?" he asked. I was in the process of putting my dress back on.

"Well, I woke up and had to use the bathroom, and I'm hungry, so I thought I'd head out to the kitchen and figure something out for an early dinner for us before my meeting at eight."

He glanced at the clock and then back to me. "So much for the movie, huh?"

"That was an innuendo and you know it."

"What's for dinner then, woman?"

"Keep your hair on, Grey. And don't call me 'woman.'"

* * *

_**So yeah, this was a shameless lemon-filled chapter, and I couldn't help it. I wanted these two in bed so bad.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**There have been some concerns regarding Ana's behavior in previous chapters. Fear not, she is going to calm down a bit and while she still will be defending herself, she'll have her knight in shining grey suit to save her. Sort of... still lots of stuff to go before we get to the official HEA.**_

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Chapter 7

Christian PoV

Ana made a delicious pasta dish for dinner served with warm garlic bread and roscato to drink. She said it was her favorite wine, and I had to agree that it was quite scrumptious. It was all I could do not to have her right on the breakfast bar, but she had to go to her meeting soon, so there simply wasn't time. Before we left, she scampered into the bedroom and retrieved her bra and panties. "I couldn't face those people without underwear on," she explained.

"Good, I wouldn't want you facing anyone but me without underwear on, Miss Steele." She giggled in response, though had no clue how serious I was with that remark. I just dropped her off at the theatre for her impromptu cast meeting. I thought it odd that she got the info from one of the other actors rather than one of the directors or producers. They kept me out of the loop by my own request, so I had no idea when they were having meetings. She did say it was a different cast mate than had asked her out the night before.

"I won't be going out with him again, and he'd better stay the hell away from me when I'm at the theatre, if he knows what's good for him."

"Who was it?" I asked, trying to stay nonchalant. But apparently I failed.

"Oh no, Christian. I remember your temper from when we were kids. I can handle this myself, please trust me. You called me bad-ass, remember? When I lived in New York, I dealt with jerks like him on a daily basis. This is nothing new for me. I'll admit, I had hoped I'd avoid this moving out here, but men are the same anywhere I guess. You appear to be the exception to the rule." Oh, Anastasia. If only you knew. I decided not to pursue the man that attacked her. Granted she said she didn't know his name, only the guy that invited her was familiar.

"So what's this meeting about?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. David just said it was a cast meeting. And to be at the theatre at eight. He didn't say who all would be there, nor what it was about. I'm guessing it's a meet and greet, which I'm used to. Sure a bunch of us went out for drinks the other day after auditions, but not everyone was there, so this is probably more of the company that I'll be meeting."

"David who?"

"Oh, David Attenborough. He's playing Raoul."

"You'll be kissing him," I state. "On stage."

"Yes, that's what tends to happen in this musical. I'll be kissing the Phantom too, you know." My glare gives everything away. "Please don't tell me you're the jealous type. Christian, I'm an actor. This comes with the territory. You're going to have to trust me."

"I do trust you. It's other men I don't trust."

"After last night, I can't blame you. But David is a nice guy, you don't have to worry about him. And Jason Miller, the Phantom, is about as gay as the day is long. So you definitely don't have to worry about that."

"What about the guy that attacked you last night? I'll bet you thought you wouldn't have to worry about him."

"The guy that attacked me wasn't a cast member. He was friends with one. Well, actually the other guy isn't in the cast, he just works for the theatre, come to think of it. Either way, he's on my shit-list now."

"You have a shit-list?" I asked, bemused.

"Yep, and be careful, or you'll wind up on it."

"Oh no," I faked. "How can I possibly avoid that?"

"Keep taking me on awesome dates and fucking me senseless, and I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Oh, Miss Steele. I fully intend to." I pulled her towards me for a searing kiss. As much as I wanted it to blossom into more, we didn't have enough time. Plus she was probably rather sore after the pounding she got earlier.

We got into my car and drove to the theatre. I gave her a long lingering kiss before letting her leave, telling her to remember the feeling of my lips on hers and that she'll want to come back for more. "You bet your boots, mister," she assured me. I watched as she strolled up to the theatre and headed in. A few minutes later, no one else had arrived. The clock on my dash said it was just past 8, so unless everyone else in the cast was early, none of them had arrived yet. I drove up to the theatre's parking ramp and noticed only one other car there. Shit.

No, it wouldn't do good to jump to conclusions. Perhaps the other cast mates walked or took a bus. Or parked elsewhere. One needed a permit to park in that ramp and maybe they hadn't been issued yet. Or maybe she had the meeting place wrong, and they're all at the producer's office building a few blocks away.

Now that she was away from me, my mind cleared and I was suddenly furious about what happened to her after I dropped her off the night before. She had at least four drinks with me and then went out in her car to go have more drinks? Was she insane. That alone deserved at least six swats with a paddle. Then she put herself further in danger by engaging those low-lives. I knew I'd have to figure out which of her alleged "friends" invited her out and then expected her to put out.

If she'd gone to bed like she led me to believe she was doing, then none of that would have happened. Why in the hell did I not confront her about it earlier? It was like I didn't even notice that she'd made the mistakes. Or like I didn't care. Of course I cared. I wanted her safe all the time. If I had my way she'd be by my side twenty-four-seven.

I sent her a quick text message asking her to call me when she was done with the meeting and I'd drive her home. I didn't want to sound like I was clingy or too worried. Driving home, my mind reeled with all the possibilities of what this "meeting" would entail. She said she got a text from a cast member about an impromptu meeting at the theatre. Why would a cast member call a meeting? Why wouldn't the secretaries or producers' assistants or anyone else besides a co-star call a meeting? Something didn't add up. On the other hand, Ana didn't seem fazed by it. And she had extensive theatre experience, on Broadway, no less. Plus, she didn't seem all that naïve. Even with her transgression the night before, she handled the situation and got out of there before being hurt.

But then, she would have been surrounded by people at the bar. Even if a group of five men were vying for her "attention" she could have yelled red and the other bar patrons would have at least witnessed it. But this meeting was in an empty theatre, with no one around to see or hear her. Anything could happen to her there. If she went in under the assumption that other members of the company would be there, she could have been sorely mistaken.

Worry about her safety consumed my every thought. When it had gone past ten o'clock and I hadn't heard from her, I called Welch.

"I need you to run a plate for me," I told him when he answered the phone. I gave him the plate number I'd noted when I saw that single car in the theatre's ramp. A few minutes later he called back with the results.

"Looks like it belongs to a David Attenborough. I ran the name and he's been cast as Raoul in your girl's musical. Pretty much her co-star apart from the Phantom. May I ask what the trouble is, Sir?"

"The 'trouble' is that she's in that theatre with him. And they're alone." The silence from the other end told me everything I needed to know. Ana was in trouble. I called her phone and it went straight to voicemail. "Shit! Taylor!"

Ana PoV

"Hello?" I called out when I entered the Proscenium theatre. "David?"

"Ana!" he called out from above me. I looked up and saw he was tethered to one of the flies, stuck upside down. "Help me!"

"What the hell are you doing?" I dropped my bag and ran up to the stage to help him. If he hung upside down for much longer, the blood would all rush to his head and he'd pass out or worse.

"Trying to be Peter Pan," he replied as I unsnagged the ropes. "And failing miserably."

"Why on earth were you trying to be Peter Pan?"

"Well my plan was to lure you onto the stage then dive down and literally sweep you off your feet. My practice run a few minutes ago landed me in that position, so I learned that it was a fruitless endeavor."

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Hmm? Oh the rest of the cast, yeah… they're not coming."

"What? Why not? You said it was a cast meeting."

"It is. You and I are in the cast. And here we are. Meeting."

I wanted to accuse him of lying to me, but in all honesty, he didn't lie. He did insinuate though. "Please don't mislead me like that. If you wanted to get me here alone, all you had to do was say so." He gives me a look that says he didn't believe I'd show up. "I would have come," I told him.

"Really? What about that guy I saw you with last night. You guys were getting pretty cozy from what I saw."

"Haven't you ever heard of dating, David? I'm testing the waters before I decide which pool to jump into." Granted I had basically already chosen Christian. I had no intention of sleeping with him then going out with another man, but it was a good idea to keep my basis covered incase Christian turned out to be a loony.

"Playing the field?" he asked. "You sound like a guy."

"Well, maybe that's what I'm doing, but can you blame me? I'm a young woman in a new city. The world is at my fingertips and I fully intend to capitalize on that."

"My hat's off to you, then. So am I in the running?"

"You would be if you hadn't ended up tying yourself up in a spider web of rope trying to woo me," I teased.

"What about José?" he asked. My expression immediately darkened. "Whoa, what'd he do?"

I told him the events that unfolded the night before and his face got as angry as mine was. "Don't worry, I took care of it. He's got a black eye, a broken nose, a few bruised ribs, and possibly a hole in his foot where I stomped on it with my stiletto. I didn't stick around long to see the extent of the damage. José probably has a black eye, too."

"Jesus, Ana. Remind me to never piss you off."

"Well, don't lie to me. José told me that a bunch of cast mates were out for drinks, and that sounded fun. But then I found out it was just him and a bunch of his buddies. I don't tolerate being lied to. They were all falling down drunk. Granted I was a bit tipsy and probably shouldn't have been driving, but I'll deal with that poor life choice another day. I'm just glad I was cognizant enough to get the creep off of me."

"Wow, I commend you. But yeah, you do need to be careful. Something bad could have happened to you."

"Something bad can always happen to me. To you. To anyone. I'm not going to constantly live my life with the paranoia that the world's out to get me. I carry mace in my purse, I'm adept in self-defense maneuvers and very street smart. I can take care of myself. I did it just fine in the NY, I'm quite positive I can do it here. I'm not a damsel in distress, and I don't need you to save me."

"Gotcha," he replied, putting his hands up in surrender. "Now can we get down to why I asked you to come here. I am sorry for misleading you. I didn't do it intentionally."

"Mm hmm, lead the way Attenborough," I said. He chuckled and led me backstage.

"I wanted to show you all the cool nooks and crannies in the theatre. Places you can go to hide out from the rest of the world. Especially if your handsome and charming co-star pisses you off."

He led me up the stairs to the rafters where all the fly systems and lights were hung for the stage. "Won't we be hanging someone from here during act 2?" I asked.

"Yeah, lucky bastard," David jokes. "But wanna know what we're gonna do up here?" I waited for an answer. "Tag! You're it."

He ran away into the darkness at the other side of the stage. I had two older siblings, I was a master at Tag. I chased after him, listening closely for any hints as to where he was hiding. I heard a nearly silent snicker that came from above me. Looking up, I saw him perched in the corner, balancing precariously on a pole. "Alright Spiderman, I see you," I teased. I climbed up after him only for him to hop down behind me and dash off again.

The chase continued for some time until I was winded. I caught him after a few minutes, then he caught me, and on and on it went until we were both completely tuckered out. We collapsed on the stage, our feet pointing towards the audience. "That was so much fun," I breathed.

"I agree," he said. He sat up and looked down at me. "I'd really like to kiss you. I know I will many times during rehearsal and the show, but I really want to now. Not as Raoul kissing Christine, but David Kissing Ana. May I?"

I simply nodded in reply. He leaned down, cupped my face in his hand and pressed his lips gently to mine. And I felt…. I felt… nothing. It was like kissing a rock. No energy exchange, no sparks, no fireworks. Nothing. Not at all like when I kissed Christian. Every time he was near me, my body came alive. With David, it wad downright boring.

He kissed me lightly a few more times before pulling away. "You didn't feel anything either, did you?" he asked.

"No, I'm sorry."

"Well it's best we got that out of the way now, I suppose. I thought that since our chemistry was so great when we sang, that the kiss would be excellent, too. It was a great kiss, but I didn't feel anything, you know?"

"I guess we'll have to fake it, then."

"Agreed. Best friends, then?" he asked, his eyes alight with hope.

"Definitely, best friends… hey what time is it? I should probably call my ride." I thought of Christian. Would he be willing to pick me up? I kind of wanted to spend the night at his place.

"It's after ten," he replied, glancing at his watch.

I hopped down from the stage in search of my purse. I found the purse, but my phone was M.I.A. "Can you call my phone quick? I don't see it in here or around on the floor."

"Did you have it on you during the chasing and the running?" he asked.

"Probably fell out of my pocket and shattered somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised. I know I didn't silence it, though, so if it's not broken, it should ring." He called the number and I heard the ring tone briefly before it sounded like a drowned cat wailing. Great.

When we found it, sure enough it was cracked nearly in two. Apparently it had just enough juice to let us know it's whereabouts before it died. I didn't have Christian's number memorized, so I'd have to hail a cab home. I remembered Jack Hyde. His business card was still in my wallet. "Can I use your phone to call a cab?"

"I can give you a lift, Ana. Where do you live." I considered his words for a moment.

"Sure, I'll take a lift," I replied. I gave him my address while I scooped up the remnants of my phone. I pulled out the sim card, thankful that it hadn't broken. We left the theatre, hopped in his car and left. On the way to my place, I noticed a black SUV that appeared to be following us. That seemed odd. I was sure it was my imagination until the SUV parked on the street across from my house.

"Thanks again, David. I owe you one." I leaned over, pecked his cheek and hopped out of the car. He waved to me as he backed out of the drive way and left. The SUV was still sitting there and I knew no one had gotten out of the car. I dashed in the house, feeling creeped out and went in search of my laptop. Thank god for icloud and backing up all my contacts. I scrolled through the list until I found Christian's number.

I was just about to dial it when my bedroom door burst open and there stood a very angry Christian Grey.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Begin Rant:**_

_**Guest reviewer: Ana acted like such a slut. Christian should dump her cheating ass**_

_**Another Guest reviewer: you just made me hate Ana. Whore!**_

_**Definition of slut: 1. one who engages in sexual activity with a large number of persons, occasionally simultaneously. 2. Refers to one who engages in sexual activity outside of a long-term relationship within the duration of said relationship… Ana has not engaged in sexual activity with anyone but Christian… all she did was have a few chaste kisses with David. 2, she is not in a long term relationship with anyone yet. I stress Yet. Therefore, she's not a slut.**_

_**Definition of Cheating: when one person has a significant other and performs any type of intimate acts with another person…. Even if you want to call those kisses an intimate act, Christian is not yet her boyfriend. Yes they had sex, that does not a relationship make. Therefore, she's not cheating.**_

_**Definition of Whore: A woman that sleeps with everyone… she's only slept with Christian thus far, and last time I checked, he wasn't "everyone." Therefore, she's not a whore.**_

_**End Rant**_

_**Now that your urban dictionary lessons are done for the day, I'll proceed with Chapter 8.**_

* * *

Christian PoV

She was holding a phone in her hand when I burst into the room. It wasn't her cell phone but a landline phone. "Why is your phone going to voicemail? Why did I just see you kiss that Attenborough schmuck? Why did he drive you home? And why haven't you called me?"

"Wow," she replied, setting the phone down and moving to sit on her bed.

"Ana? Is everything alright?" her mother asked from the other side of the door. "Christian, you can't just barge into the house like that. Where are your manners?"

"It's okay, mom. He was just worried when my phone went right to voicemail and I hadn't called him back. We're fine." Her mother relented and went back downstairs. "Sit down, Christian."

"I think I'll stand," I replied defiantly. This set her off, she marched over to me, grabbed me by the shoulders and shoved me into a nearby chair. Well then. That was new. I noticed I didn't have the usual reaction to having my shoulders touched, but I was already murderously angry, so perhaps it couldn't get any worse.

"You'll sit and you'll listen," she stated. "I'm not even going to answer your idiotic questions right now. You have absolutely no right to follow me around, even in a conspicuous SUV. You have no claim on me. Yes we've gone on two dates, and there will probably be more, provided you don't piss me off any further tonight, but let me tell you if you start acting all 'king of my dominion' on me and treat me like I'm a possession or beneath you, I'm going to drop you here and now."

"I don't—"

"Shut up!" she yelled, cutting me off. "I'm not done. David is a friend, a colleague, and yes I kissed his cheek goodbye. And earlier he kissed me. On the lips. Is it any of your business? No. I'm going to be kissing him a lot both in rehearsal and on stage. So you're going to have to deal with that, or this isn't going to work. You and I made love, Christian. I don't take that lightly. I'm not going to jump into bed with just any guy who flirts with me and you need to trust me. And even if you don't trust the other men, you need to believe that I can take care of myself. I can tell them, 'sorry I'm taken' or ' no, I'm not interested.' Men could be lining up naked and stroking their hard cocks, begging for me to give them a taste, but you need to trust that I will not do anything about it other than perhaps insult them by saying, 'I've got a much bigger and better one waiting at home.' You are the one I picked… I realized that today. But you'll lose me so fast if you act like a Neanderthal possessive jealous prick.

"In regards to my not responding to your calls. I didn't know you had called because my phone broke. You need to not jump to the worst conclusion and assume that someone has absconded with me to parts unknown just because I don't call you back within a timeframe that _you_ deem acceptable. As it turns out, I was just going to call you now. If you'll look at my computer screen, you'll see I pulled up your contact details from the cloud, since. My. Phone. Is. Broken."

She pulled what used to be her phone out of her purse and tossed the pieces on the bed. "You kissed him?" I asked. She rolled her eyes again.

"He asked if he could kiss me, and I said yes. I was curious. Not because I was all that attracted to him, or that I'm not totally into you, but because I needed to know if our singing chemistry translated to physical chemistry. As soon as his lips were on mine I knew that it was nothing. He and I would never be more than just friends."

"I don't like that you kissed him. Or let him kiss you or whatever. Outside of rehearsal and performance, I don't want you kissing him or anyone else for that matter," I stated.

"You don't get to have an opinion on that Christian. It's my decision. Until you and I are in an exclusive relationship, then you can't make those demands of me."

"I've always been monogamous," I told her.

"That doesn't make any sense," she replied, confused.

"Why not?"

"You told me you've never been in a relationship, yet you weren't celibate. That led me to believe that you had friends with benefits or fuck buddies, right? Am I wrong?"

"Yes and no," I replied. Her expression told me I wasn't given her enough. "Perhaps… perhaps it's best if I'm completely and totally honest with you."

"That would be a good place to start. I told you that I don't tolerate being lied to."

I took a deep breath before beginning. "For the past twelve years, I've engaged in a very specific kind of relationship with women. Contracts, specifically. I began as a submissive to a family friend who was my Dominant. She then trained me to be a Dominant and from there I've had contracts with various women who subbed for me from a few weeks to nearly a year. I never had more than one sub at a time, and I didn't engage in any sexual activity with anyone but my current sub. That's what I mean by monogamous."

"You… they… what?" she mumbled. "So you're a Dom?"

"Yes."

"Holy shit, that's hot!"

"What?" I breathed, completely bamboozled.

"And it explains so much. Earlier today when you took me from behind. You were so aggressive and rough and I loved it. I get it now, that you're a Dom; you like to be in control. But being in control and controlling me are two different things, Christian. I will not be controlled. I will not take you dictating my life to me like you probably did your submissives. You said you wanted a relationship with me. Having been in a few relationships, I know how they work; you clearly do not."

"No, I… really don't… I have no clue," I agreed.

"Then now more than ever, you need to trust me. If you're ready to be in an exclusive monogamous relationship with me, then you need to trust me. Yes, I'm sure I'll make mistakes, but you need to be there for me when I do, and support me. I can promise you that I won't kiss anyone else outside of what I have to do for my job, I won't go out with other guys on dates, and I'll be faithful to you. And I'll expect the same in return. Can you do that?"

"I'll try. I can't make any guarantees and I don't want to promise you that I can do all that because I don't want to break that promise. I can absolutely be faithful to you, as that's all I've done in the past, but as for the rest… I'm new to all this. I have been in control and controlled others for a long time. It's all I know. But if you're willing to be patient with me, then yes, I will try my hardest."

"Then there's only one more question you have to ask me." It took me a few moments to realize what she was talking about.

"Anastasia. Would you like to be my girlfriend?" The words sounded all wrong coming out of my mouth, but it felt so right. She was meant to be mine. In whatever capacity she'd let me have her.

"Yes, I would," she agreed, giving me a huge grin. I stood up from my chair and pulled her into my arms. I kissed her roughly, gripping her body as if it would slip through my fingers if I didn't hold on with all my might. She melted into me, her fingers winding into my hair.

Reluctantly, I pulled away after a few moments. "First things first… we need to get you a new phone."

"It's eleven at night. Nothing's open. I'll go in the morning," she replied.

"_We'll_ go in the morning," I corrected. "When do you start rehearsal?"

"The directors are supposed to send out a calendar with our schedules on it. We probably won't actually start for a few more weeks. I should probably tell you that the 'cast meeting' that was supposed to happen was only me and David. I didn't know that until he told me. I was a bit miffed at him for that but he technically didn't lie, just misled me."

"That fucker," I hissed.

"Don't!" she admonished. "I already took care of that issue, you don't need to come charging in and fight battles that have already been fought. He knows he shouldn't have done that and he won't do it again."

"Does he know you're with me?"

"He saw us out together at the karaoke bar. And until about 28 seconds ago, we weren't a couple, so no he doesn't know we're _together_. You don't have to worry about him, he said he didn't feel anything when we kissed. And he was the first one to say it, not me."

"What does that matter?" I asked.

"If I'd said it first, guys are notorious for going along with whatever the woman says to avoid getting hurt. Say I didn't feel anything, but he felt sparks. If I said I didn't, he wouldn't tell me that he did. He'd agree with me. But he said it first, indicating he really didn't feel anything."

"So they lie to keep from getting hurt?"

"Many men do, yes. I don't want you learning from them, though. If we're to work, I need you to be the exception, not the rule, in a lot of instances. That's why I'd never given myself fully to a man before. None of them were up to snuff, if you will. The moment I met you, I knew you were different. _How_ different, I hadn't decided yet, but I ended up being right. I usually am. And you'd do well to remember that, too."

"That you're usually right?"

"Yes," she answered. "Now I'm tired. I want to go to bed. You're welcome to stay if you like." She then proceeded to disrobe to put on her pajamas. When she pulled her dress up over her head, I saw her hips covered in bruises. Hand shaped bruises.

"Did I do that?!" I bellowed. She looked at me alarmed, then saw my line of sight was focused on her hips. She turned towards the full length mirror on her closet and examined the bruises..

"Huh, go figure," she stated, as if it wasn't a big deal. She curled her finger, beckoning me to her. Once I was next to her, she gripped my hand and placed it against her hip. An exact match. Yes, I did this to her.

"I'm sorry," I said, hanging my head. "I didn't know I was _that_ rough with you."

"Why in the hell are you sorry? Did you not just get done telling me that you're a man who gets off by causing pain? I feel like these are badges of honor. I like them. Don't you?"

"I never aim for black and blue, Ana. I aim for pink. Deliciously warm and pink. I never want to cause lasting pain with marks like that."

"Well, you might have to get used to them, Christian because for one, I bruise easily, and two, I loved how tightly you gripped me. Feel free to do that again, please." She then proceeded to continue undressing.

I could feel my pants tightening as I watched her. Then she put the nail in the coffin when she pushed all her hair over one shoulder and deftly braided it, securing the end with an elastic. Dear god, she looked breathtaking with that braid. I was certain that I'd ask her to wear her hair like that forever. She dressed in a pair of very tiny shorts that showed off the curve of her ass just above her thighs, and an equally small tank top that fit her like a second skin. "And there will be no hanky-panky. For one, my parents are here. Secondly, as much as I loved it earlier, I'm a bit sore, remember I was a virgin before our picnic. Thirdly, the last thing I want is for this relationship to be all about sex, regardless of how epic it maybe." Well, shit.

I pondered her words for a moment before stripping down to my t-shirt and boxers and joining her in bed. She reached over me, turned out the lights and then snuggled against me, her head on my chest. Again, the usual feelings of pain and rage associated with that touch were gone. In their place were feelings of joy and utter happiness. This woman was something else altogether.

Ana PoV

I was surprised at my outburst. Who knew I had it in me? I just knew I wouldn't tolerate his jealousy. And then when he climbed into my bed and pulled me into his arms, I knew he had me under his spell. I would do damn near anything for that man. We only scratched the surface of his Dom stuff, and I desperately wanted to know more, but I knew that baby steps were the best idea.

Nestled against him, he wrapped his arms around me tightly and soon, we both fell asleep. I felt safe and cherished, like I was the most important thing in his world. Perhaps his little outburst about his calls going right to voicemail gave me evidence to that end. I'm his first girlfriend ever. If I fuck this up, he may be put off real relationships forever. I couldn't do that to my fellow womankind. He was a true treasure.

In the morning, I awoke, lying on my back, feeling a very strange and incredibly pleasant feeling in between my legs. I noticed that it was hair. Christian's hair tickling my inner thighs before pressing his lips to my flesh, just below the hem of my shorts. "Good morning," he murmured. "I was awake, and bored, so I decided to wake you too. I can't tell you how badly I want to divest you of these shorts and taste you."

I lifted my hips in invitation, giving him better access to my shorts, which he quickly yanked down and threw into the corner of the room. Then his mouth was there. Kissing my lips reverently as if the most precious thing on the planet. Tentatively, he stuck his tongue out and licked my slit before parting the lips with his fingers and revealing the sensitive nub, that I liked to call the love button. He added pressure to the spot, causing my body to tense and relax alternately for an indeterminate amount of time. I knew I needed to keep quiet as my parents' bedroom was just down the hall, and my room was sandwiched in between Ethan's and Kate's. A quick glance at the clock told me it was too early for any of them to be up, but the walls weren't soundproof, so I still needed to tamp down the moans.

When he added two fingers to the mix, curling them upwards to hit that special spot, I nearly lost it. I grabbed the nearest pillow and smashed it over my face, biting into it in an attempt to muffle my cries of ecstasy. He yanked the pillow away and growled, "I want to see you, Ana." I began panting heavily, using every drop of my power to keep from screaming when he gently bit my clit. I wrapped my braid around my hand and pulled on it, reveling in the sensation of the light pain as he crazily pleasured my core.

I felt the tightening begin low in my abdomen, and I knew that an incredible release was only seconds away. "Oh Christian," I whispered. Now that the pillow was gone, I had nothing to bite into to mute myself. I threw my arm over my face and bit into the flesh as the climax washed over me. My legs were quaking, and I was nearly convulsing from the sensations.

As I came down from my peak, I waited a few moments before attempting to return the favor. Christian stopped me in my tracks. "Not today, baby. I don't have time, besides, that was all for you."

"All for me? You don't want me to reciprocate?"

"Of course I do, but I've read that in some relationships, you need to give your partner a release without asking for or expecting one in return sometimes. In the past, I've expected my subs to ensure that I get mine, but I was usually less than unconcerned about whether or not they got theirs, unless I wanted them to."

"You mandated whether or not they were allowed to come?" I asked, surprised.

He shrugged. "Part of being a Dom."

"And sometimes, if you didn't want them to come, and they did anyway, you'd punish them?"

"Without a doubt," he confirmed. Suddenly my mind was reeling with possible punishment implements. What on earth would he do to these women?

"I don't want you to punish me. Ever," I told him.

"You're not my sub, Ana. I have no reason to, nor permission to. Thought you might be surprised just how satisfying it can be. For all parties involved."

"I'm not real keen on pain," I answered. "I suppose light spanking and hair pulling is fine, but anything more… I don' t think so."

"I can work with that, Miss Steele. I have to go to the office now," he told me. "Hence why there's no time for the reciprocity. Not even time to go get you your new phone yet." He reached down and gabbed my arm, bringing it up to examine the bite mark. "This is very arousing, by the way. I'd like to leave my own mark on you like this sometime." He ran his fingers along the indented flesh, and it made me wonder if he'd let me do that to him sometime. "Can I see you this evening?"

"I'll have to check my calendar," I teased. His face fell. "Of course you can, Christian. Jeez. I have no other friends here apart from David who I just saw last night. Where am I gonna go?"

"Fair point, well made, Miss Steele. You can have friends, you know. I'm not going to monopolize all of your time. As enticing an idea as that is, however."

"You do realize that if I'd sucked you off rather than all this talking, you'd have finished by now, right?"

His eyes widened. "Oh, you think so?"

"I _know_ so… you're not the only one with skills, you know… yet."

"And just how many men are aware of your _skills_?" he asked, suddenly angry again.

"Oh, slow your roll, Grey. Less than a few. But I do know that I'm skilled in that department. So you'll just have to think about that all day while you're behind your desk and in meetings, unable to do a damn thing about it."

He was dressed and out the door in the next five minutes, his trusty security detail, Taylor, holding the door of his car for him. "Bye, baby," he called out to me before hopping in. "I'll see you tonight." His level of control astounded me. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't be able to leave the house unsatisfied, especially if he was throwing all kinds of suggestive comments at me like I had just been doing. I waved back, and shook my head in awe of him.

I closed the door, only to turn and see the face of my overly curious big sister. "Again? You're seeing him tonight? How many dates in a row is that? And he slept over? Did you even ask mom and dad? Are you being safe?

"Yes, yes, three, yes, no, and of course!" I replied, answering all her questions in order and sauntered into the kitchen to see what Mrs. Manning had going for breakfast. Blueberry pancakes from what I could smell.

Hopping up on a bar stool, Mrs. Manning presented me with a pate of piping hot blueberry pancakes, the pads of butter just starting to melt on the top. I spread it around with my knife as she sets the syrup on the counter. Kate sat in the next stool, eyeing me cautiously. "You slept with him! You did! I can tell! You lost your v-card to Mr. CEO himself!"

"It's really none of your business, Kate," I answered around a mouthful of breakfast. I chased it down with a swig of orange juice. "How many times have I ever asked you about your love life? How about zero?" I made a show of making a "zero" with my fingers.

"What are those bruises?" she asked, seeing the hand prints on my hips.

"If you don't know what they're from, then clearly your sex life is crazy boring," I answered. Her mouth fell to the floor. "Pick up your jaw, sis. You're going to drool all over Mrs. Manning's immaculate floor." I finished the pancakes and hopped down from the stool, skipping back to my bedroom. First, a trip to the apple store for a new phone, then I thought I might drop by GEH and surprise a certain sexy CEO.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Ana PoV

**Hey little bitch. You broke my nose! You better pay for the bills!**

**I'm not kidding, whore! I expect full payment. How you choose to pay me is up to you, though.**

**WHORE! Answer me! I'll ruin you! Just you wait!**

Dear god, José was a creep! Why on earth would I pay for his medical bills? His friend assaulted me! I wasn't pressing charges against that prick, and I was fully within my rights to do so. He'll ruin me? Who did he think he was? Ugh, his voicemails were even worse than the text messages. It was like he was deranged, sick in the head, obsessed or something.

Part of me wanted to give him a snarky reply, but I thought better of it and instead had the agent at the apple store give me a new number so I didn't have to deal with the jack-ass. On my way out, I called Jack Hyde and had him pick me up from the store and take me to GEH. I knew better than to wait much longer to give a certain CEO my new number.

On the way, I sent a quick text message to my family, David and a few other friends letting them know I decided to switch to a Seattle number. No need to worry them with the real reason I changed it.

I stepped out of the car, paid Jack and stared in awe at the monstrosity before me. It was gigantic. All steel, concrete and glass, and huge. Massive. Gargantuan. I stood there for a few minutes thinking of any other possible synonyms for big before I decided to walk in the front door.

"May I help you, miss?" a perfectly coiffed blonde asked me.

"Yes, I'm here to see Christian Grey," I told her. She gave me a knowing smirk and then picked up a phone, asking me to wait just a moment.

"Your name?"

"Anastasia Steele," I answered. "I'm his girlfriend."

"His _what_?!" as if in a superhero movie, every woman nearby stopped in their tracks, completely frozen, staring at me slack-jawed. I looked around for Professor Xavier to come rolling out from behind a column and reveal to me that I have some amazing superpower. I have to admit I was a bit saddened when that wasn't the case.

"I'm his girlfriend," I said again. I wanted to say I didn't stutter, but I felt like keeping that comment to myself. Then on some silent cue, all the women started moving again, eyeing me up and down, appraising me, apparently deciding whether or not I was worthy for Christian, or whether I was a worthy adversary. It was clear that every woman here wanted him, and I knew enough that not one of them had been given the pleasure.

"Take the elevator up to the 73rd floor. You can speak with his PA directly." I thanked the woman and headed towards the elevator. 73 floors. Honestly. Who needs that much space?

"By the way ladies," I added before stepping into the open doors, "It's huge. And all mine." I gave them a wink and let the doors slide closed in front of me.

The inside of the elevator was lavish, ostentatious, and entirely unnecessary. Seriously. Who needs marble floors, granite railings and mahogany paneling inside an elevator? You're only in it for a few moments. I was starting to get a bit overwhelmed by all I saw. For god's sake there was a table in the elevator with a jug of ice water with cucumber slices in it and crystal glasses artfully arranged around it. Someone honestly took the time every day to slice cucumbers and put them in a pitcher of water. I'm sure it had to be done several times a day or the ice would be melted by now. It was almost lunch time.

Once the elevator opened, I was met with another perfectly coiffed blonde, who eyed me speculatively, but retained a pleasant demeanor. Though I thought all hell was going to break loose when I told her I didn't have an appointment. She nearly had a conniption, going on and on about how "no one visits Christian Grey without an appointment. No one."

Just then Taylor walked up, and sure enough recognized me. "Taylor, will you please tell this lovely lady who I am and why I'm here?"

"Well Andrea, this is Anastasia Steele, age twenty-four, currently rehearsing for her role as Christian Daae in Paramount's upcoming production of the Phantom of the Opera. Daughter of Ray and Carla Steele, sister to Kate and Ethan Steele, and currently dating our boss, Christian Grey." Andrea's mouth dropped open much like the women from the ground floor.

"Well, she hasn't an appointment," Andrea replied. "You know as well as I do that no one sees Mr. Grey without one. Not even his mother." I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her. Surely Grace was allowed here when she needed to see Christian, wasn't she?

"Just tell him she's here; I'm almost positive he'll have you send her right through," Taylor suggested. I decided I was going to go ahead and like Taylor. He was batting for my side.

"Andrea!" I heard my favorite CEO's voice bellow. "Is there a Miss Anastasia Steele here to see me?" Holy hell! How did he know I was here?!

Christian PoV

"Welch!" I barked, knowing he was outside my office.

"Sir?" he queried, popping his head in the door.

"What did you find on that Attenborough guy?" I asked.

"Not much, sir. Twenty-seven years old, single, never married, lives in a warehouse apartment downtown. Has been in and out of theatre since he was eighteen. When he's not in the theatre, he's a waiter at an upscale restaurant. Zero complaints that I could find. He's a stand-up guy, sir. I don't think you have any reason to worry… not about him anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, sir, I took the liberty of looking into all the actors, crew members, directors, etc from Paramount Theatre. One name stood out, or rather, his photo did because he's changed his name. I arrested him when I was on the force."

"What? Who?"

"The name he's going by now is José Rodriguez, but his former name was Alejandro Martín. He's a serial rapist, sir. And he specifically goes for young brunettes, much like Miss Steele. He's currently employed as one of the theatre's photographers. He got out on parole eighteen months ago, and since has procured a new identity, complete with a trumped up résumé that he's a fantastic photographer."

"Shit!" I exclaimed. "Find him!" Welch scurried out of my office in search of the lowlife. There was no way I'd let that scumbag anywhere near my Ana.

I poured myself into my work, responding to emails, firing insubordinate employees at my subsidiary companies, making deals and then I felt a strange presence. I was staring at the door of my office, and somehow I knew that Ana was on the other side of it. "Andrea," I called out, pressing the PA button on my desk phone. "Is there a Miss Anastasia Steele here to see me?" I asked.

"Yes, sir," she replied, bewildered. "She hasn't an appointment, and she's not on the proscribed list of visitors."

"She is my girlfriend, Andrea; she has full access to me whenever and wherever. Understood?"

"Yes sir, I'll send her in now."

"Hello beautiful," I said to the glowing angel that was walking across the granite floor of my office. Her heels echoed against the floor, creating a symphony of music to my ears. I told my female staff to never wear hard bottom shoes in my office because I normally couldn't stand the sound, but when Ana walked, it was the sweetest sound ever.

"Hiya handsome," she replied, smirking at me and eyeing me seductively. "I was just at the apple store, and I thought I'd drop by and say hello. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. You're never unwelcome here. As you may have just heard, I've given you full access to me."

"I did hear that… That's quite the list according to the spreadsheet I saw Andrea pull up and plug my name into. From what I could see during the brief second that I saw the screen, not even your mother is on that list."

"It is a very short list, that's true," I confirmed. "But I don't ever want us to not be in contact with each other. I understand that you'll have some limitations due to rehearsals and performances. Well, I plan on being at every performance, but rehearsals at least."

"You're coming to all the shows?" she asked, surprised.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss them for the world."

"Wow, that's… wow. Okay… So in other news, I got a new number, and I wanted to give it to you."

"Why didn't you just transfer your old one?"

"Because when I activated the new phone, I had a ton of missed text messages and voicemails from an individual I no longer wish to associate with, so I took the easy way out and got a new number. Plus, I had a New York number before, so it makes more sense for me to have a Seattle one instead if I'm living here."

"Who?"

"It's no one of your concern, Christian. I'm handling it," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Everything about you concerns me, Ana. Please tell me who it is."

She rolls her eyes, which sets my palm twitching. "His name is José. He's the theatre's photographer. He's the one that I socked in the face for lying to me. I believe you called me bad-ass afterwards."

"Ana, I want you to be careful around him. Welch, the head of my security department, did a background check on everyone who works at the theatre, since I'm a producer, and my girlfriend's in the show. José Rodriguez is actually Alejandro Martín… a serial rapist."

"He's who?!" she screeched. Her chest began heaving as she hyperventilated. Thank God Andrea had just brought a pitcher of ice water just minutes before Ana arrived. I led Ana to the sofa, sat her down and turned to fill a glass.

"Drink this, Ana," she looked at me as if I was a stranger, but took the glass, slowly sipping it as her breathing calmed down. A few moments later, she seemed to be okay. "Are you alright, Angel?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. You just… surprised me. I know that name. Alejandro Martín. I thought he was familiar when I met him, but I couldn't place him."

"How did you know him?" I asked, trying to contain my rage at the knowledge that this was the 2nd time this man had tried to assault my angel.

"I didn't," she replied. "His picture was plastered all over campus in college as a serial rapist. Word got out that he was indeed date-raping college girls all over the place. Mostly brunettes like me. I never had a run-in with him, thank god. When I met José Rodriguez, he reminded me of someone, but I couldn't place it right away. He must have had some plastic surgery of some kind or something because he looked enough different that I didn't think of the rapist. And now… god, that explains his lies, his behavior at the bar, all the subsequent text messages. Ugh. Now I'm really glad I changed my number."

"Me too, good thinking, baby," I told her. "So what's your new number?" I pulled out my blackberry and punched in the numbers she dictated and saved it under "Angel."

"So… lunch?"

"Yes of course," I agreed. "Andrea," I barked into my PA system again. "Have the café send up my usual for lunch, only have it made for two. And let me know when they're on their way up."

"Yes sir," she replied. I turned back to my Angel only to see her scowling at me. "What?"

"Why were you so rude to her?"

"Rude? What?"

"You barked at her like a drill sergeant and didn't even thank her," Ana admonished, crossing her arms over her chest.

"She works for me. This is her job; I don't need to thank her," I replied, confused. My stance mirrored hers.

"Oh for god's sake, Christian. No wonder the woman was shaking in her boy shorts when you addressed her when I arrived. Your employees are terrified of you!"

"Fear gets things done!"

"What's your turnover rate for PAs?" she asked.

"About six months to a year, why?"

"And what are the reasons they give for tendering their resignation?"

"Well a fair amount of them get fired," I answered. She scowled at me. "But the ones that left of their own volition… let me think. One said she and her husband wanted to have a baby, and she couldn't devote as much time at the office, so it was better for her to quit, another wanted to go back to school, another had to move away to help her sick grandmother…" I stopped talking when I realized Ana was laughing hysterically.

"My father has had the same PA for fifteen years. Want to know why? Because he treats her with kindness and respect, says please and thank you, and you should do the same if you hope to keep any of your employees for an extended period of time."

"Seriously?" I groan.

"Yes, seriously. You need to get your act right, Mister. Employees deserve to be treated well. You may pay them well and offer amazing benefits, but those are all worth shit if the boss is a pretentious ass-hat."

"I'm an ass-hat?"

"Not to me, no, but to Andrea, yes absolutely you are," she declared. "I suggest that when she calls to let you know lunch is on the way that you attempt to thank her for the update." I could tell her words were a challenge. A challenge that I would gladly accept.

"Sir, lunch is on its way up," Andrea called from her desk.

"Thank you, Andrea. Would you please have it brought in and put on the short table when it arrives?" I asked graciously.

I could tell the woman was spluttering outside the door, even though she'd muted her line. Ana was gazing at me in awe. "Um, you're very welcome, sir."

A few moments later, Andrea opened the door and in walked two caterers pushing a cart full of our lunch. They placed the trays on the table, filled two glasses with the accompanying wine, and departed without a word. Just as they were about through the door, Ana raised one eyebrow at me. "Gentlemen," I addressed. They stopped at turned to me, both hiding the cringes in their faces. "Thank you." They blinked a few times, looked at each other, to Ana, to Andrea, then back to me.

"You're welcome, sir," one said. The other echoed his partner's words and they shuffled out of the room in a haze.

"See what happens when I change my ways? My staff goes near catatonic."

"What's on the menu?" Ana asked, plopping herself back onto the sofa and lifting the silver lid off the trays. "Mmm, chicken salad sandwiches, red grapes, yogurt, sliced cheeses, crackers, and what's this? _Tiramisu_? I'll be damned. This is your usual lunch?"

"Minus the tiramisu. Andrea must have tipped off the kitchen that I had a guest, and that said guest was not only female, but my girlfriend. It appears that said news is spreading around my building like wildfire. Someone may get fired today after all." I checked through my emails and sure enough, some of my security officers were reporting a near mob of women in the main lobby, all of them discussing how it was possible that "she" was with me, and wondering what I was like in bed. I hated when employees started talking about me like that. That was why I never had any visitors. Rumours would go around and before I knew it, insubordination would reign supreme.

"Um, that might be my fault," Ana said sheepishly. "I mentioned to the woman at the front desk down on the ground floor that I was your girlfriend, and everyone froze in place, staring at me like I was a Martian or something."

"And that caused this riot of gossip?"

"Er, I may have added fuel to the fire," she continued. "Um… as I was getting into the elevator, I may have made a comment about your member and its… size…"

"Ana, Ana, Ana… whatever am I going to do with you?"

She shrugged in response. "I suppose whatever you like. Or we could put this lunch on ice and you could have me all over your office… Just an idea though." She started eating one tiny corner of her sandwich, acting as if she hadn't just said the right words to send my "member" as she called it into hyper-awareness. I yanked the sandwich from her fingers, set it on the tray, put the cover on it, then scooped her up off the couch, carried her across the room and dropped her unceremoniously on the desk.

"It's good you're wearing a skirt," I told her. I reached up and grasped the crotch of her panties and tore them off, discarding the pieces in my pocket. "God you smell amazing Ana. I can't wait to be inside you."

"Then what's the delay, Grey?" she demanded, writing on my desk. I rolled a very handy condom onto my length after springing it from my pants and in one swift thrust I was inside her, buried to the hilt. God, this woman would be my undoing.

* * *

Check out pinterest dot com / wrenegade86 / fifty-shades-of-the-opera /

for pics of some of the items in today's chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Ana PoV

After my midafternoon tryst with Christian, I was due at the theatre. A real-life cast meeting was actually happening this time. An email was sent out by the producers and they included all the cast members in the email, so I knew for certain that it was legitimate. I contemplated just going straight to the theatre and waiting, but a certain dominating CEO destroyed my panties, and I wasn't about to go to a cast meeting without them.

At home, I showered quickly, donned a pair of black skinny jeans, leather boots, a long sleeve red blouse and my leather jacket. That's right; I was going to ride my baby. In the garage, I pulled the cover off my Honda Shadow Spirit that I named Betsy. She was bad-ass. All lean lines and with custom midnight blue paint with smoke flames. She was sleek and feminine and just perfect for me.

I donned my matching blue helmet, started up the engine, and roared out of the garage, down the driveway and onto the street. Harley lovers, eat your hearts out. Being on the open road felt great. I hadn't pulled this baby out since I'd moved back to Seattle. Given the frequent rain, and by frequent, I mean every bloody day, I thought I'd never get a chance. But there I was racing down the streets, weaving in and out of traffic like a pro. At this rate, I'd be early to the cast meeting rather than late if I'd taken a cab.

After a few minutes, I noticed a black SUV that made all the same turns that I did, and kept up a good clip behind me. Was I being followed? If so, that was not cool. I tried to lose the SUV to no avail. Even when I went down alleyways too skinny for an SUV to fit, it caught up with me every time. Yep, I was definitely being followed. The question was, should I confront the person, call the police, or call Christian. He practically had his own version of the FBI working for him. Surely Taylor or one of his minions could look into it.

I made note of the license plate before turning into the theatre's parking ramp. Conveniently, right near the handicapped parking spots were a few motorcycle parking spots. As the ramp filled, people had to park farther and farther away from the entrance, but not me. God I loved that bike for so many reasons.

After locking the helmet into place, I headed into the building, shaking my hair out as I went. Helmet hair wasn't becoming on anyone. Stopping in the bathroom, I noticed a kink around my head from where the helmet was tightest. Well that simply wouldn't do. I decided to braid my hair down one side and secured it with an elastic that I always handily kept on my wrist.

"Call Christian," I said to Siri as I made my way towards the proscenium theatre.

"Hey babe," he answered. "What's up?"

"I think I was followed from my house to the theatre," I told him.

"Oh?" he replied, not sounding worried at all. "What kind of car was it?" After I told him, he let out a chuckle. "Was the license plate GEH008?" he asked.

"Yes, how could you possibly… oh… Seriously? You had me followed? What in the hell did you think I was up to that you needed to have me followed? Honestly Christian. This is not okay."

"I wasn't having you followed to keep tabs on you, Ana," he replied calmly. "It's Luke Sawyer, your security detail. In light of the threat from Rodriguez, I thought it prudent for you to have round the clock security. In case the bastard tries to make any moves. We're keeping tabs on him, too. Though we won't be able to bring him in unless he attempts something with someone."

"Oh, well, I wish you would have told me. I tried like hell to lose the guy, but he kept showing up just a couple blocks behind me."

"You're riding a motorcycle?!" He bellowed.

"Yes, I ride a motorcycle, why is that so offensive?" I asked, rolling my eyes at the phone. "Lemme guess… this Sawyer person just gave you a sit-rep, and informed you that I not only drive a motorcycle but that I'm a bit reckless with it?"

"He did say you were driving rather fast, weaving through traffic and taking alleyways instead of roads," Christian answered. I could tell he was just on the brink of shouting again, but was trying to rein it in.

"I can't talk long, Christian. My meeting begins soon," I replied. "But I've had my motorcycle license since I was eighteen years old. It was the best way to get around in New York. And the only reason I was driving the way I was is because I thought I was being followed by some unsavory douche-copter."

"Douche-copter?" he echoed.

"Yes. An unsavory one even! Why don't you have Sawyer meet me and Betsy, my bike, at the end of the meeting and I can introduce myself to him officially? I'd like to know who's going to be on my six twenty-four/seven."

"On your six? You watch too many crime dramas," Christian teased. "By the way, Sawyer has you from six pm to six am. And from then until six pm again, it'll be Belinda Prescott. I'll make sure she rings your bell in the morning to introduce herself properly. Sawyer has a longer shift today because Prescott is still in training."

"Thanks, babe," I replied. "I'll call you once the meeting finishes."

"Laters, baby," he said. That was a new phrase. And I liked it.

The meeting consisted of a read through of the book and a rough musical rehearsal through all the songs. I knew each number by heart, but clearly the rest of the company did not. At all. Two of the lookalike wenches made the company due to two last minute withdrawals from other actors. I learned their names were Leila Williams and Susannah Birch. Again, they were eying me with disdain, clearly hating my guts. Hey, they should be lucky they even made the company. They say there are no small parts, only small actors. Well, whoever said that was full of shit. I knew full well that the leads got way more attention, more stage time and more lines than the company and secondary characters. These girls would hardly be noticed on stage and they knew it.

Once the meeting was over, I called Christian again to let him know we were done. He informed me that Sawyer was waiting near my bike. "Would it be alright if I came to your place for dinner?" he asked. "I'll have it brought in, if you like."

"I'm sure Mrs. Manning has prepared something amazing. And there's always plenty leftover, it should be no trouble for her to set an extra setting or two."

"Or two?"

"For Sawyer," I answered.

"He won't be joining us for dinner, Ana. He's on shift."

"A twelve hour shift," I stated. "Do you expect him not to eat during that time? If he's going to be following me around like a puppy, I'm damn sure gonna ensure that he eats when I do."

"I don't eat with my staff, Ana. Plus, he'll need to be outside on duty."

"Fine, then I'll have Mrs. Manning take him a plate," I decided. "Is that enough of a compromise for you?"

"Yes, Angel. Thank you," he replied, his voice soft and sultry. Mmm.

"Great. I'll see you at my place then," I agreed. By then I was to my bike, and standing there with a crew cut so short he was nearly bald was a man who had to be Luke Sawyer. He was all suit and professionalism, calling me Miss Steele or ma'am at every opportunity.

As I was talking, the wench twins walked by. Leila and Susannah. Jeez, were they attached at the hip or something? "Night ladies, see you at the next rehearsal," I called out in as friendly a tone as I could muster. One of them turned to reply, but then froze when her eyes caught Sawyer's. Recognition poured over her face and his. She knew him? Maybe they used to date. Sawyer began to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot and cleared his throat.

"Um, yeah, thanks," the woman replied. I couldn't remember which one she was. "Listen, Ana. Maybe we could hang out sometime. We'll help you run lines and practice your songs." Her smile was bright and cheerful. Oh god, not one of those.

"Sure, sounds like fun," I agreed reluctantly. She already had my number as the director had us all write them on a big white board and then everyone was able to program them into their phones. I was sure to erase mine from the board before leaving in case Rodriguez was slinking about. They both got in an ostentatious Audi and drove off. I shook my head to rid myself of the odd energy they emitted.

"Listen Sawyer," I told him. "I understand that you have rules that the big CEO himself has developed, but I don't run as tight a ship. I'd prefer if you called me Ana, or Miss Ana at the most. And can I call you Luke? And I don't want you so close that you're breathing down my neck, okay? Keep a good distance at all times, please. I'd rather at least have the illusion of being on my own, even if I know you're patrolling nearby. Is that okay?"

"That'll be fine Miss St—Miss Ana," he agreed. I nodded and gestured to hop on my bike. "If I may say, that's a very nice ride you have."

"Thanks!" I replied. "She's my baby." I patted the seat as I pulled my helmet on. "See you at my house. I'll try not to lose you."

"You almost did earlier," he confessed. "Thank god for GPS, or I would have lost you for sure." I laughed and kick-started Betsy. I gave him a nice wheelie as I raced out of the parking ramp. I didn't drive as fast home as I did on the way to the theatre. Sawyer was able to keep up a couple cars behind me, leaving me some freedom.

Christian PoV

I beat Ana to her house. The housekeeper Mrs. Manning, who bore a striking resemblance to Mrs. Jones allowed me in. Mr. and Mrs. Steele were seated in the great room, one with a book the other with a newspaper. "Hello Christian!" Mrs. Steele greeted. "Ana mentioned you were coming over for dinner. How lovely."

"I hope it wasn't too short of notice," I mentioned.

"Not at all," she replied, waving my comment away. "You're always welcome here."

"Unless of course you break Ana's heart," Mr. Steele interjected. "Then I'll come after you. Understood?"

"Yes sir," I replied. "I wouldn't dream of hurting her. Not in a million years."

"Good man," he said with a nod. "Ana should be home on that two-wheeled deathtrap any moment."

"Yes, I found out today that she had her motorcycle license. Took me for a shock," I said. "Is she safe on it?"

"Not as safe as we'd like, I'm afraid," Mrs. Steele answered. "But she's never been hurt or in any accidents, knock on wood." She leaned down and rapped her knuckles against the hardwood floor.

We chatted a few more minutes before Ana came in the door and ran up the stairs without even a hello. I looked to her parents for approval before ascending the stairs after her. "Ana?" I called out. A moment later, she popped out of her room in a pair of black and white striped skinny jeans and a loose sweatshirt with the Pink Floyd logo on it. She looked like she came right out of Flashdance, with the way the neck hung off her shoulder. I leaned down and kissed her exposed flesh. It was then that I noticed her hair. It was braided on one side of her neck, leaving the other side completely exposed.

Before I could lean down for another kiss of her delectable skin, she pulled me into her bedroom by the beltloops and slammed the door. I was then promptly shoved against said door and attacked. She quite literally jumped onto me and locked her lips with mine. I held her up by wrapping one arm around her waist and the other under her thigh. Very close to her delicious ass. Her mouth and tongue explored mine and I began to feel warmer and warmer, certain things getting harder and harder.

"I want you," she whispered.

"You just had me at lunch time," I replied.

"You've made me an insatiable minx," she said. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"Your parents are just downstairs."

"How observant of you." She proceeded to climb off of me and attempt to pull me towards her bed whilst removing her clothing.

"Ana, please. I'd like to stay in your father's good graces, if I could."

"I'll be quiet," she replied, whining a bit.

"Not possible," I told her. "We're going to wait, Ana. You're welcome to come back to mine after dinner. Then I can have you on every surface of my apartment." Her pupils dilated slightly and her breath quickened at my words.

"Okay," she agreed, pulling her sweatshirt back down. She then went to the door, opened it and headed down the stairs. I was sure her parents heard her door slam. What were they going to say?

This was all new territory for me. I wasn't accustomed to meeting or knowing the parents of the women I was with. Granted, no one knew of these women other than a very select few of my staff and Elena. Due to the NDAs they always signed, none of their friends or family knew of me. And I liked it that way.

But I never felt complete. Not until Ana. She made me feel things I never would have thought possible. True happiness and joy. Here I thought I felt joy when a submissive got pleasure out of me punishing her. But no, that was nothing compared to the feelings going through me now. Ana elicited so many emotions that I wasn't used to feeling. Fear being one of them. I was so afraid for her safety all the time. Knowing Rodriguez, er Martín, whoever he was, skulking about, her motorcycle, and the fact that I couldn't have her under lock and key all the time.

Flynn suggested I enter into a real relationship, and that's precisely what I've done. If only I knew how big a rollercoaster it was actually going to be.

"How was the meeting, darling?" Mrs. Steele asked Ana.

"Fine, mom," she answered. "We did a read through of the book and a rough run through of the musical numbers. I'm pretty much the only one that knows all the songs, so it was exceptionally rough. But nothing I'm not used to."

"That sounds wonderful. I'm so glad you were able to continue your love of theatre here in Seattle," Mrs. Steele stated, her eyes getting teary.

"Dinner is about ready," Mrs. Manning called out from the kitchen. We followed her voice through the spacious kitchen and into the dining room. Ana stopped at the counter to speak with the woman first, no doubt about having a plate brought out to Sawyer. I rolled my eyes at the thought. My staff were used to having to fend for themselves while on the job. Ana had already had me changing my ways at the office and now she was spoiling her assigned staff.

We sat at the table, Kate and Ethan joining us a few moments later. I exchanged greetings with each of them. Kate smirked and winked at me before turning her eyes to Ana. What was that about?

Mrs. Manning served a delicious stuffed goose with arugula salad and fingerling potatoes for dinner. I hadn't had goose in ages and forgotten how much I liked it. Ana selected a bottle of wine from their cellar and it met my seal of approval. The woman knew her way around a winery; that was for sure. I had yet another quality to add to my ever growing list of wonderful things about my Angel.

"Two of the wenches that auditioned the same day as me made the company as last minute add-ons," Ana mentioned. "I guess two of the other company members couldn't commit or something, so they had to withdraw. And then the casting director picked these two snobs to take their places. I hope they're up to snuff. Usually there's a reason people don't get cast."

"What don't you like about them?" I asked.

"Well, they're practically carbon copies of me, and they know it. They keep looking at me like I'm the evil twin or something. Like 'what's she got that we don't,' type thing. It's weird. Plus they're not all that talented, at least not musically, and I remember one of them stumbling over her own feet during the dance audition. Unless that was the third one, I can't remember. They all could be sisters I swear."

"Was Rodriguez there?"

"No, thank god," Ana replied. "I really hope not to see him again."

"Who's Rodriguez?" Mrs. Steele asked.

"Do you remember that serial rapist that was running rampant in New York a few years ago? Alejandro Martín?" Ana asked. Mrs. Steele nodded and Mr. Steele straightened in his seat. "It's him. He's had a nose job and gotten a new identity. He's been threatening me on the phone."

"What? Ana! Call the police!"

"I changed my number and he doesn't know where I live," she replied nonchalantly. "Plus, Christian has round the clock security detail on me now, so I'm not worried about it. If he does make an appearance, I will call the police."

"Round the clock security?" Mr. Steele asked.

"When you're me, it's necessary. And when you're dating me, it's even more so. Especially with creeps like this guy running around."

"Agreed. Thank you for watching over Ana. I can't be her body guard all the time, even if she'd let me." I smiled in response.

"Thank you for a lovely dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Steele, and my compliments to the chef," I said sure to include Mrs. Manning in my thanks. Ana wouldn't have it any other way. The housekeeper gave me a gracious smile.

"Any time, dear," Mrs. Steele offered. "What are you two lovebirds up to tonight?"

Ana immediately blushed at her words. "Um, we're going to his place," she finally said. "He's got a really nice game room with a pool table and home theater."

"Sounds like fun!" Mrs. Steele replied, completely clueless. Did her parents really not know what we had planned? I spared a glance at Mr. Steele, and he seemed to know exactly what Ana wasn't saying. He gave me the eye to which I nodded curtly, acknowledging his silent threat of dismemberment should I hurt his baby girl.

"Shall we?" I asked, offering my arm. She nodded and threaded her arm into mine. "Goodnight," I called to the family. Kate was snickering quietly as we passed the table, Ethan shaking his head at her.

As we headed out into the foyer, Ana remembered she needed her purse. She dashed up the stairs, grabbed her items and met me at the door. Just as I was opening it, her phone buzzed. "Oh, who is it now?" She pulled out the phone and froze as she read the message.

"What's wrong? Is it Rodriguez?" She shook her head. The relief that washed through me was palpable.

"Christian, do you know a Leila Williams?"

* * *

Check out www dot pinterest dot com / wrenegade86/fifty-shades-of-the-opera/ for some pics of this chapter.

I'm going to try for weekly updates on each of my stories, but I make no promises. Work and real life have been bitches lately.


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